Challenges and assets in the sanitation of cities in the Republic of Benin (West Africa)

Abstract

Sanitation is one of the key sectors for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. In Benin, many efforts are made by the government, however, challenges remain. This communication sets out the activities carried out as assets by the government in the field of sanitation and secondly what remains to be done as challenges for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Documentation made in institutions and direct observations in the field made it possible to collect data on sanitation, hygiene and water. The data collected was analyzed with the sphnix 4.5 software. The results show a synergy of institutional and non- governmental actions around sanitation. Thus, several flagship projects including, Grand-Nokoué, the Pluvial Sanitation Project of Secondary Cities (PAPVS) of Benin, the Cotonou Pluvial Sanitation Project (PAPC) have been implemented and several international agreements to increase by 100% funding each year for the sanitation sub-sector and raising the institutional positioning were signed within the framework of the Water and Sanitation for All (SWA) organization in Washington in 2012. Then, in 2015, the Declaration of N'Gor in Senegal on the occasion of the 4th African Conference on Sanitation (Africasan4 summit). The government has built new Faecal Sludge Treatment Stations in Abomey-Calavi, Sèmè-Podji and plans to build them in Parakou commune as well. The institutional profile of the sub-sector is based on feedback, bringing sanitation out of its marginality and making it a real "national cause", and the financing of sanitation projects is the real one. Sanitation is essential to improve the health of populations, is the engine of economic development and to reduce the cost of public health expenditure.