Meeting WASH SDG6: insights from everyday practices in Dar es Salaam

Pascale Hofmann

doi:10.1177/0956247820957280

Abstract

While existing datasets and statistics provide a useful indication of progress towards meeting Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6, they are far from accurate and sufficient. There is a need for new and more disaggregated data to shed light on unequal service provision patterns, particularly for many informal urban settlements. This paper aims to address this need through a granular space and time-based examination of the diverse everyday practices in two lower-income settlements of Dar es Salaam. The findings reveal spatial and temporal variations at the inter- and intra-settlement scale while tracing differential and changing practices among poor women and men. The in-depth case study exposes important blind spots in policy and planning, provides wider lessons for achieving more equal and sustainable access to services and developing more responsive policy and planning approaches, and emphasizes the value of local data collection.

Highlights

The most recent global assessment by the Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP)(1) estimates that worldwide 844 million people still lack access to basic drinking water services and 2.3 billion people to basic sanitation
This article sought to address the inadequacies of existing datasets and statistics and to respond directly to the need for new data and in-depth case studies in the global pursuit to meet SDG6
Differential access to water in Dar es Salaam is apparent across the city, and within settlements among diverse residents. This can be revealed through new approaches to data collection that pay attention to spatial and temporal variations at the inter- and intra-settlement scale while tracing the dynamics among differential practices among poor women and men

Summary

Introduction

The most recent global assessment by the Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP)(1) estimates that worldwide 844 million people still lack access to basic drinking water services and 2.3 billion people to basic sanitation. A large proportion of those inadequately served live in sub-Saharan Africa.(2) As part of the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH)-related Sustainable Development Goal (SDG6) aims to “ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all”, with Target 6.1 seeking “universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all” by 2030.(3) This constitutes a significant shift from the less ambitious (and heavily criticized(4)) Millennium Development Goal (MDG) for water and sanitation, which only sought to halve the population lacking improved access.

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Conclusion