WASH Cluster Sanitation Technical Working Group Guidelines for Household Level Sanitation Updated October 2019 Context The Government of Mozambique aim is to eliminate the practice of open defecation across the country by 2025 and universal access to basic sanitation by 2030. It has been done through the mass mobilization of communities on behavioral change messages, certifying open defecation free communities, and strengthening sanitation markets. Prior to the cyclones Kenneth and Idai, the rate of open defecation in the rural areas has been high across the affected provinces Sofala (67%), Manica (45%) and Zambezia (72%). This means that even households not directly impacted by the cyclone or floods, have a high probability of practicing open defecation. The two cyclones that affected Mozambique, Idai and Kenneth, have had a profound impact on the population and the access to sanitation infrastructures. Two main affected groups can be recognized; the people resettled in new rural areas (“resettlement sites”), and the generally affected population by cyclonic winds and/or floods. The first group can be categorized as the most vulnerable, followed by the generally affected area that remained in their habitual place of residence. Sanitation interventions for relocation centers and first phase emergency support in resettlement sites focused on the construction of temporary emergency communal latrines. The guidelines for this sanitation support is included in the Mozambique WASH Cluster Emergency Sanitation Guidelines1. Their construction was often undertaken by humanitarian agencies, where materials, and sometimes labor, were fully subsidized. After the acute emergency needs for construction of latrines for communal latrines for 1:5 households the WASH Cluster will support the construction of household latrines in resettlement sites and affected communities using a dome slab modality to improve sanitation access and to encourage improved hygiene behaviors. It is still important to remark that in both the acute emergency response phase and in the current stage there was -and there continues to be- a need to strengthen existing/new sanitation services, replacing or repairing those that ceased functioning, and develop additional, appropriate complementary WASH services to meet the emerging needs of those in the affected districts. The Sanitation Guidelines for Emergency Household Level Sanitation is based on a principal framework that will clarify WASH sanitation household level priorities. This guidance was developed in consultation 1 The Mozambique WASH Cluster Emergency Sanitation Guidelines are available here 1 with WASH Cluster partners through technical working group meetings and approved through cluster partner consultations. It is intended to help address the complexity of the transition between acute emergency and post emergency, improving mutual support across partners, and connecting and synchronizing actions across national institutions and key WASH actors. In addition, WASH cluster partners will aim toward eliminating the practice of open defecation and supporting the adoption of improved sanitation infrastructure. This strategy proposed is therefore aligned to the existing national policy and the rural sanitation strategy whereby the focus is on supporting communities with behavioral change and demand creation, while at the same time subsidizing the most vulnerable. This intervention should build onto the developing context of strengthening markets with contextualized sanitation products. Strategic Objectives Extend support for the elimination of open defecation, and adopt improved sanitation aligned to existing national policies, to the affected population. Facilitate the construction/reconstruction of household latrines, while strengthening sanitation markets with locally produced and contextualized products Strategic directions Full and partial subsidies for sanitation products targeting resettlements areas and entire host/affected communities. Increase the demand for sanitation products and social norms changes, using social mobilization techniques like Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) targeting resettlements areas and entire host/affected communities. Strengthened supply services through sanitation marketing with skills transfers on design and construction. Priority intervention areas Selection is based on previous, current and ongoing assessments performed by the government, WASH cluster and partners. The selection of other rural areas is influenced by challenges identified as consequence of severe floods and cyclonic winds. Resettlement sites Planning for the second phase household level support begins during the first phase of emergency interventions in resettlement sites. Once the emergency latrines are in place (one for every five households), the WASH Cluster partners will focus on household level latrines. For populations in resettlement areas, concrete slabs will be fully subsided. However, contributions in kind will be required by households for pit digging and construction of the superstructure. People in these areas are the most 2 vulnerable, given the fact that they have not been able to have a gainful employment or activity that would enable them to pay for any type of sanitation infrastructure. It is therefore unlikely to believe the resettled families will be sufficiently self-reliant during the immediate phase to pay for their most basic needs, including sanitation. Affected communities For population in flood/wind affected areas and host communities, concrete slabs will be partially subsided. Households will have a limited financial contribution of approximately 15% of the cost of the slab. In-kind contributions for pit digging and superstructures will still be required by households. Vulnerable populations Households with one or more persons with disabilities or who meet the vulnerability criteria established by the government (see Annex A) will have their latrines fully subsidized by WASH Cluster partners. This includes the slab, the superstructure, and its construction. Resettlement Affected/host Highly Vulnerable Fully subsidized dome slabs Financial contribution for slabs Fully subsidized dome slabs HH constructs pit HH constructs pit Partner constructs pit HH constructs superstructure HH constructs superstructure Partner constructs superstructure Implementation It can be best treated under three different headings, an initial stage of mapping followed by execution. a. Developing Different resettlement sites and affected/host communities are already mapped and assessed; therefore, partners will conduct assessments intended for mapping the availability of local materials, soil conditions, water table, and ranking priorities for the most vulnerable population (see annex A). These criteria might be already available for all experiences acquired when installing temporary emergency sanitation infrastructure. Assessments will also include an analysis of the potential demand considering population densities, distances, and locations. Once the optimal technical solution is selected, social mobilization activities for the community-based sanitation delivery approach will take place in targeted communities to increase awareness regarding the contributions in kind that are required by households; while addressing the need in changing the social norms towards open defecation. 3 Community based approaches, such as CLTS, have been elected by the government as the primary modality to meet objectives in sanitation programs, not only for service provision but also for poverty alleviation. Also, they highly promote the sense of sanitation ownership. Local artisans are to be identified and assessed, followed by delivering capacity building activities to produce local slabs. In case there are no entrepreneurs already selling locally produced slabs, the local entrepreneurs are to be targeted. They can be introduced to slab producers for other locations, including technical trainings to the artisans. The long-term objective of training and development of local artisans, or other potential suppliers must be integral to the project to the extent that it does not initially compromise delivery and quality of work. To ensure affordability, it is possible to establish a voucher-based system. Alternative models to vouchers can be explored, but do ensure that, as part of the transaction between entrepreneur and household, the household has a voice. b. Execution Social mobilization should achieve communities that are willing to achieve ODF status. WASH partners must ensure that detailed programmes for community participation and dedicated teams responsible for ensuring compliance are put in in place. Special efforts must be made to equally involve women, men, girls, and boys of different age, gender, and diversity; not only as potential committee members but as decision makers along the project cycle. A successful implementation of this point in resettlements areas would be where 100% of household use the communal latrines and/or when all households start digging pits. For this reason, households will receive a voucher to receive hardware products for reduced or no fee. In resettlement areas a 100% subsidy can be implemented for household latrines, while in the other areas a symbolic fee needs to be paid by the household. The suggested percentage is 15% of the slab cost. The dome slab cost will be different for every area of implementation due to the logistics to obtain supplies and availability of materials.