From the Swiss Blue Community Eawag – Aquatic Research Institute:
Newly released! Future-proofing sanitation services: A climate-resilience capability framework for utilities.
Summery:
Reasoning and Approach: This summary is based on the executive summary and key sections of the provided document. The focus is on the main objectives, framework, and actionable insights for utilities and stakeholders in the context of climate-resilient sanitation services, especially in Kenya but with broader relevance.
1. Background and Context
- Urban sanitation in Kenya and many African countries relies mainly on non-sewered sanitation systems (NSS) such as pit latrines, septic tanks, and decentralized treatment facilities. About 85% of Kenyans use these systems, with only 15% connected to sewers.
- These systems are increasingly vulnerable to climate change impacts like flooding, drought, and extreme weather, which threaten infrastructure, service continuity, and public health.
- Utilities are shifting from centralized infrastructure to a “citywide inclusive sanitation” approach, integrating managed NSS to achieve universal access, lower costs, and greater climate resilience.
2. The Climate Capabilities Framework
- The report introduces a Climate Capabilities Framework to help utilities build both operational and strategic (dynamic) capabilities for climate resilience.
- Dynamic capabilities are the utility’s ability to sense risks and opportunities, seize them by mobilizing resources, and transform operations based on new insights. This is in contrast to operational capabilities, which are about day-to-day service delivery.
- The framework was co-created with input from utility operators, regulators, funders, researchers, and development partners.
3. How the Framework Works
- The framework systematically links climate risks (threats and opportunities) to utility operations along the sanitation chain (from user interface to treatment and reuse/disposal).
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It guides utilities to:
- Sense: Identify and anticipate climate risks and opportunities.
- Seize: Mobilize resources and adapt operations to address these risks/opportunities.
- Transform: Institutionalize changes and continuously improve resilience.
- Example applications include managing flood risks (e.g., pre-emptive emptying, floodproofing) and accessing climate funding for innovative projects (e.g., biogas, resource recovery).
4. Use Cases and Stakeholder Roles
- Utility managers can use the framework for internal assessment, strategic planning, and risk management.
- Regulators can use it to design adaptive policies and monitor utility preparedness.
- Funders can target support for capability development and innovation.
- Civil society and researchers can use the framework for advocacy, collaboration, and further research.
5. Limitations and Next Steps
- The framework is not a complete implementation guide but a starting point for utilities and stakeholders to experiment, refine, and institutionalize climate-resilient practices.
- It encourages iterative use, context-specific adaptation, and collaboration across sectors.
In summary: The document presents a practical, participatory framework for utilities to build climate resilience in non-sewered sanitation services. By focusing on both operational and dynamic capabilities, utilities can better anticipate, adapt to, and transform in response to climate risks, ensuring sustainable and inclusive sanitation for all.
