Supporting private entrepreneurs to deliver public goods: engaging sanitation entrepreneurs

Despite the inclusion of sanitation in 2002 as part of the MDGs, the global backlog still grows. Current investment is heavily biased in favour of sewerage over nonnetwork forms of sanitation, yet the vast majority of urban dwellers in developing countries actually live with what is (often euphemistically) known as “onsite sanitation”. Onsite sanitation is typically seen as a household responsibility; if people want a toilet built or emptied, it is for them to find someone to do it; public agencies working on onsite sanitation are often few and far between. Smallscale providers and sanitation entrepreneurs typically fill this service gap and are very prevalent across the globe. This article reviews how the 'onsite sanitation market' functions and discusses existing roles of sanitation entrepreneurs. It identifies four areas that need exploring in order for the sanitation aspects of the MDGs to become relevant to the urban poor.