Achieving universal access to water and sanitation by 2030 through blended finance – World Bank

Today, 2.4 billion people still live without access to improved sanitation; about one billion people defecate in the open; and more than 640,000 people lack improved drinking water sources.

With the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals on water and sanitation (SDG 6), countries of the world committed themselves to change this situation by achieving universal access to safe water and sanitation while addressing issues of water quality and scarcity to balance the needs of households, agriculture, industry, energy, and the environment over the next 15 years.

A substantial increase in sector financing will be necessary to achieve SDG 6. Recent estimates by the World Bank’s Water and Sanitation Program (WSP) indicate that the present value of the additional investment in the water and sanitation sector alone needed through 2030 will exceed US$1.7 trillion. Existing funding falls far short of this amount; countries may have to increase their water and sanitation investments by up to four times in order to meet the SDGs.

The World Bank at World Water Week 2016

At present, most water sector actors in developing countries rely on government lending and concessional financing from national, bilateral or multilateral development banks (MDBs) to mobilize financing for capital investment. These financial sources alone will not be sufficient to finance investments on the scale that is called for by the SDGs. It is therefore essential to mobilize up-front financing from commercial sources as well.

National governments and donors must use their funds in a catalytic manner, as part of broader financing strategies that mobilize funding from sector efficiency gains, tariffs, domestic taxes, and transfers to crowd in domestic commercial finance. If they are able to do so, countries will be much more likely to access the resources they need to improve and expand the infrastructure needed to deliver and sustain universal coverage of water and sanitation services and achieve SDG 6.

However, commercial finance has been limited for the water sector up to now. How can it be mobilized? In a newly published paper - Achieving Universal Access to Water and Sanitation by 2030: The Role of Blended Finance, we suggest that “blended finance” can help lift the constraints that are limiting the mobilization of commercial financing for the water sector.

What is “blended finance”?

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) refers to blended finance as ‘the strategic use of development finance and philanthropic funds to mobilize private capital flows to emerging and frontier markets’. 

Blended finance in the water sector has the potential of mobilizing private sector financing for credit-worthy or close to credit-worthy investments. This would allow reallocating public funds to other areas where public subsidies are likely to be needed.

Commercial finance usually brings requirements for greater investment discipline and transparency, which in turn could support improved efficiency in the sector, an objective for most water sector reform efforts around the world.

Domestic commercial finance in particular can be mobilized in local currency, which reduces the foreign exchange risk and can bring down transaction costs, particularly for smaller scale investments to improve efficiency that can generate rapid returns (such as replacing meters or fixing leaks).

Blended finance has traditionally been used as a tool to stimulate interest from the commercial financial sector, with the use of concessional finance then tapering off over time to avoid distorting markets.

World Bank pulled together nine case studies on how blended finance has been used in facilitating access to water and sanitation in developing countries so far. 

These case studies include diverse experiences reflecting different levels of financial market development and targeting different sector needs -- from facilitating access to micro-finance for households to invest in water and sanitation in Cambodia or Bangladesh, all the way to setting up a revolving fund for utility investments in the Philippines.

The case studies shed light on how grants, concessional lending and various forms of credit enhancement (such as guarantees or revenue intercepts) have been used to address constraints on accessing finance so that more households would have access to drinking water, an adequate toilet and a suitable place to wash their hands by 2030.

Do you know of other examples where blended finance approaches have been successful in catalyzing investment in the water and sanitation sector? What about other sectors? Let us know in the comments! Or write to us at jkolker@worldbank.org and stremolet@worldbank.org. 

Source:World Bank

FACEBOOK CEO MARK ZUCKERBERG IN NIGERIA

Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg, is in Nigeria on his first trip to sub-Saharan Africa, using his time in the country to visit the Yaba technology hub in Lagos, meet with developers and partners and explore Nollywood.

Zuckerberg says he will also listen, learn and take ideas back to California on how Facebook can better support tech development and entrepreneurship across Africa.

One of his first stops on the trip was to visit a ‘Summer of Code Camp’ at the Co-Creation Hub (CcHub) in Yaba, known as the Silicon Valley of Nigeria.

At CcHub, Zuckerberg met with developers like Temi Giwa, who runs a platform called Life Bank that makes blood available when and where it is needed in Nigeria. Life Bank saves lives by mobilising blood donations, taking inventory of all blood available in Nigeria, and delivering blood in the right condition to where it is needed.

After visiting CcHub, Mark Zuckerberg said: “This is my first trip to sub-Saharan Africa. I’ll be meeting with developers and entrepreneurs, and learning about the start-up ecosystem in Nigeria. The energy here is amazing and I’m excited to learn as much as I can.

“The first place I got to visit was the Co-creation Hub Nigeria (CcHUB) in Yaba. I got to talk to kids at a summer coding camp and entrepreneurs who come to CcHub to build and launch their apps.  I’m looking forward to meeting more people in Nigeria”.

Mark also met developers At Andela, an engineering organisation, that is building the next generation of technical leaders in Africa.

Andela is a business that recruits the most talented technologists in Africa and shapes them into world-class developers through a four-year technical leadership program.

In the two years since it was founded, Andela has accepted just over 200 engineers from a pool of more than 40,000 applicants.

Andela developers spend six months mastering a technical stack and contributing to open source projects before being placed with global technology companies as full-time, distributed teammates, working out of Andela headquarters in Lagos and Nairobi.

Earlier this year, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative invested in Andela after being impressed by the company’s innovative model of learning and its drive to connect the global technology ecosystem with the most talented developers in Africa.

The Director of Andela Lagos, Seni Sulyman, said: “We are excited and honoured to welcome Mark Zuckerberg to Lagos. His visit reinforces not only his support of Andela’s mission, but his belief that indeed the next generation of great technology leaders will come out of Lagos, Nigeria and cities across Africa.

“Andela has created a platform for passionate, driven software developers and engineers to break into the global tech ecosystem, but the barriers to entry are still very high. Mark’s visit demonstrates to all Nigerian developers and entrepreneurs that they’ve caught the attention of the tech world, and they are capable of succeeding on a truly global level”.

At the end of the day Zuckerberg stopped by an Express WiFi stand in Lagos owned by Rosemary Njoku.

Facebook’s Express WiFi lets entrepreneurs like Rosemary set up a hot spot to help their community access apps and services built by local developers.

On plans to expound Express WiFi, Zuckerberg said: “This week, we’re launching a satellite into space to enable more entrepreneurs across Africa to sell Express Wi-Fi and more people to access reliable internet. That means more connectivity and more opportunity for entrepreneurs like Rosemary everywhere”.

Zuckerberg’s presence has become the talk of the day in Nigeria’s commercial city, with lots of ‘welcome to Nigeria’ messages on his Facebook page.

In response to some of the messages, an excited Mark said: “Thanks for such a warm welcome”!

(Culled from CHANNELS TELEVISION WEBSITE)

Lagos State Government reiterates commitment on environmental sanity in the state.

The Lagos State Government has reiterated its commitment in bringing back environmental sanity to every part of the state.

The commitment was made by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode on Tuesday while inaugurating the Special Committee on Clean-Up of Victoria Island, Ikoyi and Lekki areas of the state.

The governor said that gross abuse of urban planning and environmental laws in the state had necessitated the action to clean up the environment and restore it to its desired form.

“The neat road sides of the past now parade pockets of kiosks, illegal parking lots, unapproved mechanic workshops, roadside beer parlours and commercial centres’’.

Ambode explained that the state government will not allow the environment to be destroyed by people who had no regard for its beauty, serenity, law and order.

“A safe and prosperous Lagos is non-negotiable; that is the commitment of our administration. We will not allow these environmental infractions to continue,’’ the governor said.

According to the governor, bad environmental practices thriving in prime areas, such as Victoria Island, Ikoyi and the Lekki axis, can no longer be tolerated and will be brought to an end immediately.

He said that the clean-up was not a one-off exercise, adding that the one taking place in the high-brow area was the pilot scheme.

The governor charged the committee, chaired by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Tunji Bello, to immediately commence the implementation of the approved action plan and execution of the clean-up exercise.

He said the committee should develop strategies for preventing recurrence as well as other recommendations as necessary to sustain environmental renewal of the areas.

Bello, in his response, pledged that all members of the committee would carry out their tasks diligently.

Nigerian government urges Space Agency To Address Nation’s Challenges

Nigeria’s Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, has urged the National Space Research and Development Agency to intensify research efforts that will address Nigeria’s peculiar challenges.

He made the appeal at the sixteenth Annual Space National Dialogue of the agency held in Abuja on Monday.

The Minister said that the agency should apply space science and technology in addressing Nigeria’s security and economic challenges.

He also appealed to the agency to make researches that would solve Nigeria’s peculiar challenges a priority.

The guest lecturer, Professor Ibidapo-Obe, said that space science could help solve security challenges, including rescuing the abducted Chibok school girls.

The Director General of the National Space Research and Development Agency, Professor Seidu Mohammed, said it was time to review how it has fared since its inception.

The Agency was established in 1999 to pursue the development and application of space science and technology for economic benefits. 

The National Space Center had in 2003 launched the first satellite, the Nigeria Sat-1 into space.
 Four years later, another satellite; the NigComSat-1 was also launched.

NAHIMAT ADEKOGA

Scientists set to launch 50 mini-satellites on atmosphere’s outermost layer

An International team of Scientists is getting ready to launch a set of 50 mini-satellites called CubeSats into Earth’s thermosphere, the outermost layer of our atmosphere that we know relatively little about.

The 50 mini-satellites will be launched from the International Space Station, and their job will be to feedback data on how our outer atmosphere functions.

The 50 CubeSats are part of an international project called QB-50, involving researchers from 28 countries, including Europe, Japan, the US, and Australia.

CubeSats are tiny satellites, measuring approximately 10 cm each side, and weighing around 1 kilogram each.

It’s an exciting move for Australia in particular, which is one of the Organizations for Economic Cooperation and Development OECD countries without a space agency.

One of the team from the University of New South Wales in Australia, Andrew Dempster said that the thermosphere is where much of the ultraviolet and X-ray radiation from the Sun collides with Earth, and generates auroras and potential hazards that can affect power grids and communications.

Another researchers, Elias Aboutanios said that the project is the most extensive exploration of the lower thermosphere ever, collecting measurements in the kind of detail never tried before.

Aboutanios explained that the satellites will operate for three to nine months, and may last up to a year, orbiting the little-studied region of space, before their orbits decay and they re-enter the atmosphere and burn up.

The researchers are excited about the potential data collected by the 50 satellites, and the best part is that the CubeSats are a lot cheaper to launch than large satellites, which means you get more data for your money.

The actual launch date is currently scheduled for December, and will be sent to the International Space Stationusing the Orbital ATK Antares rocket from Wallops Island, Virginia. 

They will then take about a month to be deployed from the International Space Station, drifting down from  Station's 380 km orbit to the lower regions of the thermosphere.

NAHIMAT ADEKOGA

WASTE TO WEALTH

WASTE TO WEALTH

Do you know we can actually make money from waste and also save the environment from the filth and refuse in our communities?

Yes, we can save the environment by turning our waste into wealth.

Refuse waste has become a thing of concern to both government and inhabitants of areas filled with filth, as it may spread diseases and endanger the lives of residents.

But unfortunately, most of these waste are non-degradable, that is waste products and packaging materials which cannot be  decomposed chemically or biologically, and that is why environmental enthusiasts are clamoring for ways to recycle these waste and turn them into wealth.

Now we have a story of a young man, a 19 year-old man who invented a waste to wealth machine.

Emeka Nelson is a student of community secondary school Umuorbu Awka in Anambra, south East Nigeria. He proffers solutions to disposal of waste in his community, and creates wealth in the process.

His innovation “a waste to wealth machine” recycles non-biodegradable wastes like polythene, plastic etc. The machine converts these waste to refineable oil from which petrol kerosene and diesel can be gotten.

Emeka is one among several other students from across Nigeria who participated in the 2015 edition of the NTA ETV (Nigerian Television Authority-Educational TV programme) for Art, Science and Technology Exhibition, where other participants designed cars, vans and many other products from waste.

Brilliant young minds like Emeka Nelson is what our communities needs and should encouraged as the working principles of his machine leaves us only with useful bye-products from which interlocks for construction purposes can be made.

Emeka explains how his machine works in this video downloaded on the NTA website.

Meanwhile, government at all levels have appealed to individuals and communities to maintain cleanliness of their environment and save them the huge cost spent on illnesses.

NAHIMAT ADEKOGA 

ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS (CONCLUDING PART)

Biological Hazards and their Adverse Health Effects

Now let’s talk about another aspect of environmental hazard, and that is the Biological hazards.

So what are biological hazards? Biological hazards, which are also known as bio-hazards, refer to biological substances that pose a threat to the health of living organisms, primarily that of humans.

This can include medical waste or samples of a microorganism, virus or toxin that can affect human health.

These bio-hazards generally fall into two broad categories: those that produce adverse health effects through infection and those which produce adverse effects in non-infective or allergic ways.

Biological hazards that have effects through infections could in form of Avian Influenza virus (bird flu), HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis viruses, Norovirus (Norwalk virus), Salmonella bacteria, Mycobacterim tuberculosis bacteria, Vibrio cholerae bacteria (cholera), MRSA superbugs, Plasmodium parasites (malaria) and hundreds of other microorganisms.

These Bacteria, viruses and parasites are responsible for the bulk of the 18.4 million deaths worldwide from communicable diseases in 2004 estimated by the World Health Organization plus additional deaths from non-communicable diseases and cancers.

Pathogens currently infects billions of people and trends indicate a rising number of pathogen deaths and infections from population growth in developing countries, urbanization, poor sanitation, broken water infrastructure, reduced food safety, globalization, international travel, extreme weather, and the rising costs of new drugs, vaccines and antibiotics.

Meanwhile, Recreational water which is heavily contaminated with pathogens, notably coliform bacteria, has been shown to be associated with an increased risk of gastrointestinal and other infectious illness, usually self-limiting.

Some biohazards in our environment also produce adverse effects in peoples’ health in non-infective or allergic ways.

Allergies manifest in a number of very specific ways, including nasal and eye symptoms, allergic asthma, eczema, hives and anaphylaxis. It is common for a person to have more than one allergic disease.

The immune system in people with allergies reacts in a specific way to allergens. Allergens are those things that trigger allergic symptoms. Common allergens include materials and particles in the air and environment such as dust mites, molds, pet dander, tree pollen, grasses and weeds, foods, drugs and stinging insect venoms.

Many allergens such as grass pollen grains, or faecal material from house dust mites may cause attacks of asthma or "hay fever". Hay fever, is also called allergic rhinitis, causes cold-like signs and symptoms, such as a runny nose, itchy eyes, congestion, sneezing and sinus pressure. There is evidence that high exposure to these allergens early in life increases the risk of suffering from asthma later on in life.

An increasing number of studies suggest that airborne chemical pollution can act synergistically with naturally occurring allergens and result in effects on lung function at concentrations lower than those at which either the allergen or the chemical irritant on its own would have produced an adverse effect.

The so-called "clinical" waste is also a bio-hazard that is not merely an occupational hazard for health care workers but is now becoming an increasingly more important risk for everyone, even at home.

We have discussed how substances present in our environment affect our health, but the essence of the discussion is to call for action. Individuals, groups, communities and the governments of countries around the world have roles to play in safeguarding their environments.

As individuals, we need to take good care of both our immediate and outside environments. Our homes, street, workplace are all important to our lives and that of our children.

As a community, it is imperative for us to be our neighbours’ keepers. We have to be careful of what pesticide we use on our farms, the type of food we plant, the cleanliness of our streets, how we trash the dirt, do we just dump them at a site? Do we recycle them? Do we keep the gutters clean to avoid floods? All these are things we do as a community to keep the environment healthy for all.

And as government, either at the local, state or federal level, there should be strict implementation of policies, laws and agreements that dwell on the environment.

Remember You are your environment, and your environment is you.

NAHIMAT ADEKOGA