2012 was the year in which the Global Sanitation Fund (GSF) built upon initial accomplishments to achieve tangible progress in a significant number of countries. Between 2008 and 2011, WSSCC worked intensively to design and implement the GSF model globally and at country level.
While slow in coming, the investment is beginning to show measurable results, notably, the crucial milestone of 1 million persons with improved sanitation. Managing an expanding rate of delivery will require GSF to strengthen operating systems.
Sustaining the momentum will also necessitate better processes of monitoring and evaluation. WSSCC has made these and related efforts a top priority for 2013, encouraged by what has been in 2012 a monumental year for GSF.
Through the Global Sanitation Fund, WSSCC had committed US$ 65 million by 31 December 2012 in ten national programmes to ensure that by 2016, 16.28 million people have improved sanitation and that 24.58 million people live in healthy and safe environments which are free of open defecation.That commitment is rapidly yielding results in villages and communities across Africa and Asia. It is a commitment shared by national partners, the Water Supply and Sanitation
Collaborative Council (WSSCC) and Global Sanitation Fund donors.
National programmes generating results
Key results of the Global Sanitation Fund country driven programmes by 31 December 2012 are as follows:
- 1.38 million people with improved toilets.
- 1.06 million people in nearly 4,000 communities now live in open defecation free environments.
- Almost 10,000 communities have participated in demand creation activities.
- 3.77 million people have heard about the importance of good hygiene through community activities and communications campaigns.
The Results Overview gives a cumulative snapshot of the current status and targets for the 10 country programmes[1]working on the ground as of 31 December 2012. Since the GSF is a sanitation financing mechanism, the flow of finances is also a key indicator of programmes implementation, and thus presented. To date:
- US$ 65 million have been committed for 10 country programmes by the end of 2012, up from US$ 48.9 million for eight countries in mid 2012.
- US$ 9.1 million have been invested in the management and development of operations.
- US$ 39 million have been allocated to start programmes in six additional countries in 2013 and beyond.
- US$ 146.9 million have been committed and allocated to the 16 country programmes and management and development of operations to oversee the five year programmes.
- The amount committed for these 16 countries is 100% of the US$ 100 million pledged to WSSCC to date by its donors for the GSF. To fully fund these 16 country programmes over five years, an additional US$ 46.9 million are needed.
- US$ 15.56 million have been committed by Executing Agencies (eas) to Sub-grantees and service providers.
- Around 100 sub-grants have been awarded by Executing Agencies for work on the ground, which together with current commitments and disbursements provides an indication of overall on-the-ground programme implementation.
- WSSCC continues to receive demand for GSF support in places where the sanitation needs are great. WSSCC’s Medium-Term Strategic Plan (MTSP) 2012-2016 identifies 35 priority countries in which the GSF could and should be working, which
contain almost 1.5 billion people without sanitation. In order to meet this demand and fulfil the MTSP target of work programmes in 25 countries by 2016, additional funding of US$ 120 million is needed.
Updated 22nd March 2013.
