WaterSHED’s system strengthening efforts contributed to significantly improved sanitation coverage in Cambodia
Commune councilors win award in Civic Champions peer competition, Takeo province, Cambodia (WaterSHED)
Agenda for Change supports its members to deliver systems change and document and share their experiences in the water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) sector. As part of that overall effort, the Global Hub contracted a team from the Springfield Centre and Aguaconsult to test and apply an approach to three cases involving Agenda for Change members. WaterSHED in Cambodia is the first case. Further guidance on how to apply the approach, and a summary of lessons learned from the process, will be forthcoming.
Key Findings – Overall
In 588 communes across 8 provinces in rural Cambodia, WaterSHED’s system strengthening efforts have contributed to remarkably improved sanitation coverage in a way that is scaled and likely to be sustainable. WaterSHED implemented two key programs over a decade-long period from 2010 to 2021: their Hands-Off sanitation marketing program, and the Civic Champions leadership training program.
Enterprises that WaterSHED worked with sold 143,393 toilets to rural customers in the programme areas between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2017. Sanitation coverage increased from 29% to 77% across 8 rural provinces from 2011 to 2020.
WaterSHED has demonstrated that prioritizing sustainability and scale need not come at the cost of high impact numbers. The depth of performance changes achieved in leadership development, targeting, and information, and ultimately in latrine affordability and sales, is remarkable.