Why faecal sludge management matters and what needs to be done to serve poor communities better

This paper outlines findings and recommendations of a faecal sludge management (FSM) study in 12 cities, and looks at the need for FSM in poor communities. The study used secondary data from 12 cities in low and middle-income countries, to assess the institutional context and estimate outcomes in terms of safely managed faecal sludge. None of the cities managed faecal sludge effectively, although performance varied. Where the cities do address faecal sludge the solutions are partial, and tend to focus on sewerage systems which serve a minority. FSM requires strong city-level oversight and an enabling environment that drives coordinated actions along the sanitation service chain; and this was largely absent. This paper also looks at the sanitation services used by poor people and the FSM services they need, to provide an understanding of priority FSM challenges and as a means to identify solutions.