Water supply and sanitation in Benin

Benin Benin Benin , officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It borders Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. Its small southern coastline on the Bight of Benin is where a majority of the population is located... : Water and Sanitation

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|-
!align="center" bgcolor="lightblue" colspan="3"|Data
|-
!align="left" valign="top"|Water coverage (improved)
|valign="top"| 75%
|-
!align="left" valign="top"|Sanitation coverage (improved)
|valign="top"| 12%
|-
!align="left" valign="top"|Continuity of supply (%)
|valign="top"| 24 hours in Cotonou, but depending on electricity
|-
!align="left" valign="top"|Average urban water use (l/c/d)
|valign="top"| 29
|-
!align="left" valign="top"|Average urban water tariff (US$/m³)
|valign="top"| 0.41 for the first five m³
|-
!align="left" valign="top"|Share of household metering
|valign="top"| n/a
|-
!align="left" valign="top"|Annual investment in WSS
|valign="top"| less than US$ 2/capita in rural areas (1999–2002)
|-
!align="left" valign="top"|Share of self-financing by utilities
|valign="top"| Operation and Maintenance: High
|-
!align="left" valign="top"|Share of tax-financing
|valign="top"| n/a
|-
!align="left" valign="top"|Share of external financing
|valign="top"| High
|-
!align="center" bgcolor="lightblue" colspan="3"|Institutions
|-
!align="left" valign="top"|Decentralization to municipalities
|valign="top"| For rural areas, since 1999
|-
!align="left" valign="top"|National water and sanitation company
|valign="top"| National Water Company of Benin (SONEB)
|-
!align="left" valign="top"|Water and sanitation regulator
|valign="top"| None
|-
!align="left" valign="top"|Responsibility for policy setting
|valign="top"| Water: Ministry of Mines, Energy and Water
Sanitation: Hygiene and Basic Sanitation Authority under the Ministry of Health
|-
!align="left" valign="top"|Sector law
|valign="top"| Yes, but ineffective
|-
!align="left" valign="top"|Number of urban service providers
|valign="top"| 1
|-
!align="left" valign="top"|Number of rural service providers
|valign="top"| n/a
|-
|}

Water supply and sanitation in Benin has been subject to considerable progress since the 1990s, in particular in rural areas, where coverage is higher than in many other African countries, and almost all development partners follow a national demand-responsive strategy, which has been adopted in 1992. New strategies to increase water supply in rural and urban areas have been adopted in 2005 and 2006. Tariffs in urban and rural areas are usually high enough to cover the costs for operation and maintenance.

However, challenges remain. A coherent institutional framework has been developed for rural areas and projects have been implemented with strong help by external donors. Responsibilities in water supply have been defined in a national strategy in 2007 and the national utility SONEB receives significant support in terms of investment and technical assistance. Sanitation receives less attention. Wastewater treatment

Wastewater Treatment

Wastewater treatment may refer to:* Sewage treatment* Industrial wastewater treatment...

hardly exists.

In order to reach the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

Millennium Development Goals

The Millennium Development Goals are eight international development goals that all 193 United Nations member states and at least 23 international organizations have agreed to achieve by the year 2015...

concerning water and sanitation, the Ministry of Economic and Financial Development estimates that US$80 million and US$22 million, respectively are needed per year from 2006 to 2015. For the sake of comparison, less than US$ 10m per year have been invested in water supply and sanitation in rural areas where 55% of the population of Benin lives. No figures are available on actual investments in urban areas. Most likely, investments would have to increase manifold in order to reach the MDGs.

Access

According to the Joint Monitoring Program of the World Health Organization

World Health Organization

The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...

and UNICEF, three quarters of the Beninese population had access to an improved water source

Improved water source

According to the Joint Monitoring Program for Water Supply and Sanitation by the World Health Organization and UNICEF the following are considered as "improved" water sources:* household connections* public standpipes* boreholes* protected dug wells...

in 2008, whereas 12% had access to improved sanitation

Improved sanitation

According to the Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation by the World Health Organization and UNICEF the following are considered as "improved" sanitation:* connection to a public sewer* connection to a septic system* pour-flush latrine...

. The share rose from 63% concerning water and from 5% concerning sanitation in 1990. Coverage in urban areas is considerably higher than in rural areas.

Access to Water and Sanitation in Benin (2008)
		Urban (41% of the population)	Rural (59% of the population)	Total
Water	Improved water source Improved water source According to the Joint Monitoring Program for Water Supply and Sanitation by the World Health Organization and UNICEF the following are considered as "improved" water sources:* household connections* public standpipes* boreholes* protected dug wells...	84%	69%	75%
Water	Piped on premises	26%	2%	12%
Sanitation	Improved sanitation Improved sanitation According to the Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation by the World Health Organization and UNICEF the following are considered as "improved" sanitation:* connection to a public sewer* connection to a septic system* pour-flush latrine...	24%	4%	12%

Significant differences in water supply coverage were found among regions. The situation depends on the accessibility to ground water, the geographic orientation of donor investment programs and the effective demand of the inhabitants of a community or region. In urban areas, lack of access to safe water is mostly concentrated in the outskirts of cities.

The national government uses another definition of access, under which water supply coverage was 50% in urban and peri-urban areas and 41% in rural and semi-urban areas in 2005. The annual water sector review for the financial year 2009 indicated 55,1 % access for rural and 57 % for urban areas. In order to reach the MDGs, the national government's strategy is to increase coverage to 75% in urban and peri-urban areas and 67.5% in rural and semi-urban areas by 2015. Concerning sanitation, the Ministry of Economic and Financial Development reported that in 2003 67% of the population did not have adequate facilities for the disposal of excrements. The annual sector review indicated an access of households to sanitation facilities of 39,4 % and 71,6 %, of school children, in 2009.

Definition of urban and rural areas

Like in other countries, the Beninese water supply sector is divided into an urban and a rural sector. However, in the documents rural areas include semi-urban areas and urban areas include peri-urban areas. In 2002, rural and semi-urban areas were defined as settlements with less than 10,000 inhabitants and 22 secondary towns with more than 10,000 inhabitants, whereas the remaining areas were called urban and peri-urban.

Continuity of supply

Substantial investments in the Greater Cotonou Area have not been effected since 1991. The fast growing water demand (6 – 8 % p.a.) is exceeding the actual design capacity of the well fields, two treatment plants and the distribution system. This results in low water pressure, which often limits the consumption in peripheral areas. Water supply in Cotonou

Cotonou

-Demographics:*1979: 320,348 *1992: 536,827 *2002: 665,100 *2005: 690,584 The main languages spoken in Cotonou include the Fon language, Aja language, Yoruba language and French.-Transport:...

is generally available for 24 hours per day, the system, however is badly affected by power cuts of the public energy utility (SBEE). About 50 % of the power demand of pump sets can be provided through generator sets to fill the pipeline system and its water tower

Water tower

A water tower or elevated water tower is a large elevated drinking water storage container constructed to hold a water supply at a height sufficient to pressurize a water distribution system....

s. Frequent power failures reduce the reliability of the system. However, substantial extension works are financed and programmed since 2007/2008 with support of major donors (West African Development Bank

West African Development Bank

The West African Development Bank - WADB is an international Multilateral Development Bank established in 1973 to serve the nations of Francophone and Lusophone West Africa...

, European Investment Bank

European Investment Bank

The European Investment Bank is the European Union's long-term lending institution established in 1958 under the Treaty of Rome. A policy-driven bank, the EIB supports the EU’s priority objectives, especially European integration and the development of economically weak regions...

, KfW Entwicklungsbank, Netherlands). Implementation is ongoing (see below).

Drinking water quality

There has been no broad assessment about water quality

Water quality

Water quality is the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of water. It is a measure of the condition of water relative to the requirements of one or more biotic species and or to any human need or purpose. It is most frequently used by reference to a set of standards against which...

in Benin. Under the framework of a study which analyzed water supply in peri-urban areas of Cotonou, water samples were collected from water kiosks, a water seller, a communal well

Water well

A water well is an excavation or structure created in the ground by digging, driving, boring or drilling to access groundwater in underground aquifers. The well water is drawn by an electric submersible pump, a trash pump, a vertical turbine pump, a handpump or a mechanical pump...

and Lake Nokoue

Lake Nokoué

Lake Nokoué is a lake in southern Benin. It is 20 km wide and 11 km long and is located at , north of Cotonou. On the northern edge is the famous water town of Ganvié. Lake Nokoué is an important site for the birds.- External links :*...

in the peri-urban Cotonouan districts of Ladji and Vossa. The study concludes that the samples from the water kiosks and the water seller were of good quality. Private water sellers connected to the SONEB utility network are wide spread in urban areas, serving households not yet connected to the grid. The Ministry in charge of water and SONEB have fixed a special ‘pro-poor’ tariff for water resale to regulate this phenomenon, in July 2009. Implementation is ongoing in cooperation with local government.

Saltwater intrusion

Saltwater intrusion

Saltwater intrusion is the movement of saline water into freshwater aquifers. Most often, it is caused by ground-water pumping from coastal wells, or from construction of navigation channels or oil field canals. The channels and canals provide conduits for salt water to be brought into fresh...

has been reported close to Cotonou, where drinking water is withdrawn.

Wastewater treatment

Wastewater treatment is extremely rare in Benin. In most cases, wastewater is not even disposed appropriately. According to a 2001 national health survey, in the cities of Cotonou, Parakou

Parakou

Parakou is the largest city in eastern Benin, with an estimated population of around 188,853 people, and capital of the Borgou Department. The mayor as of 2008 was Samou Seidou Adambi and administratively the commune of Parakou makes up one of Benin's 77 communes.-Economy:Parakou lies on the main...

and Porto-Novo

Porto-Novo

Porto-Novo is the official capital of the West African nation of Benin, and was the capital of French Dahomey. The commune covers an area of 110 square kilometres and as of 2002 had a population of 223,552 people.Porto-Novo is a port on an inlet of the Gulf of Guinea, in the southeastern portion...

, only two out of 1,000 households dispose their wastewater in a correct way, while most of them discharge it directly into the nature or drains. This leads to pollution and can cause water-borne diseases like malaria

Malaria

Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...

and typhoid fever

Typhoid fever

Typhoid fever, also known as Typhoid, is a common worldwide bacterial disease, transmitted by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the feces of an infected person, which contain the bacterium Salmonella enterica, serovar Typhi...

.

According to a 2004 article, Cotonou is the only town in Benin which has a functioning wastewater treatment plant, where sludge from septic tanks and latrine

Latrine

A latrine is a communal facility containing one or more commonly many toilets which may be simple pit toilets or in the case of the United States Armed Forces any toilet including modern flush toilets...

s is treated. Another article reports that the treatment plant, operated by the private Industrial Society of Urban Equipment and Sanitation (SIBEAU) treats about 240–300 m³ per day. The company charges tariffs for treating the sludge from septic tank truckers. The wastewater receives primary and secondary treatment and is afterwards dumped into the ocean. In addition, some local institutions like a hospital and hotels operate their own water treatment facilities.

Water resources

It is estimated that the available water resources

Water resources

Water resources are sources of water that are useful or potentially useful. Uses of water include agricultural, industrial, household, recreational and environmental activities. Virtually all of these human uses require fresh water....

in Benin are sufficient to meet the current and future demand, even if agricultural and industrial consumption are included. The current water use is about 1% of the available resources. The total amount of renewable water resources in the country is estimated at 3,954 m³ per person and year, an amount whereby water shortages only occur irregularly or locally according to a definition of Falkenmark and Widstrand. 2000 km² or 1.8% of the total surface area of Benin (112,620 km²) is covered by water. Rainfall averages 1,039 mm per year, but varies considerably among region and season.

Water use

A study published in 2005 indicates an average consumption of 17 liters per capita and day (l/c/d) in rural areas and 29 l/c/d in cities. The authors explain the very low water use in rural areas with a lack of water sources, long distances from villages to wells and limited resources in dry seasons. In the outskirts of the town areas, they found situations similar to those in rural areas. They expect an increasing water demand due to urbanization

Urbanization

Urbanization, urbanisation or urban drift is the physical growth of urban areas as a result of global change. The United Nations projected that half of the world's population would live in urban areas at the end of 2008....

and increasing living standards

Standard of living

Standard of living is generally measured by standards such as real income per person and poverty rate. Other measures such as access and quality of health care, income growth inequality and educational standards are also used. Examples are access to certain goods , or measures of health such as...

. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

Food and Agriculture Organization

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is a specialised agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Serving both developed and developing countries, FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and...

of the United Nations

United Nations

The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...

indicates that in 2001, 32% of the total water withdrawal was used for domestic purposes, while 45% was used for agriculture and 23% by the industry.

History

Rural areas: Under the framework of the United Nations International Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Decade (1981–1990), Benin launched a campaign and installed 5,350 water points. The result of these efforts revealed some weaknesses within the strategy, i.e. (i) lack of user participation in the installation of water points; (ii) lack of health and hygiene education; (iii) lack of investments in hygiene and sanitation; (iv) lack of community inclusion in the administration and operation of the water points; and (v) poor rate of functioning water points.

Since these efforts and investments in the sector had proved to be little sustainable, a new demand-responsive strategy for rural water supply and sanitation was prepared with the help of the World Bank

World Bank

The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...

and adopted in 1992. The strategy is based on the four principles of

Decentralization of decision making
Financial contribution of the communities to the initial investments (about 3-10% of the total costs)
Search for cost-cutting measures concerning operation and maintenance of facilities
Privatization of construction and operation activities

Furthermore the strategy contains two more basic principles, which are not explicitly mentioned as such:

Integration of hygiene education in rural water programs
Redefinition of the role of the General Water Authority (DGEau), which becomes the sector regulator and facilitator

The new strategy has since then been implemented through a number of projects called Assistance Program for the Development of the Water supply and Sanitation sector in Rural areas (PADEAR) with the strong help of several development partners. The strategy was revised in 2003 in view of a new institutional framework, the national poverty reduction

Poverty reduction

Poverty is the state of human beings who are poor. That is, they have little or no material means of surviving—little or no food, shelter, clothes, healthcare, education, and other physical means of living and improving one's life....

strategy and the MDGs, support of delegation of works and an analysis of the time which had passed since the application of the strategy.

In 1995, a national sanitation policy was adopted. Its objectives were similar to those of the 1992 strategy for rural water supply and sanitation.

Urban and peri-urban areas: Until 2002, water and electricity were both supplied by the Beninese Society of Electricity and Water (SBEE). Afterwards, much of the electricity sector has been privatized, whereas the urban water sector remained public and has been provided by the National Water Society of Benin (SONEB).

Latest national strategies

In both urban and rural areas new strategies have been adopted in 2005 and 2006 with the objective to reach the MDGs concerning water supply by 2015.

Rural and semi-urban areas: The new strategy for the period from 2005 to 2015 follows the national strategy of 1992 and aims to reach the MDGs. Its principles are similar to those of the 1992 strategy, but adapted to the modified political and institutional frameworks. Like the former one, the strategy is based on a demand-responsive approach and has five principles:

Decentralization of the decision-making process to the municipalities, which act based on a demand-responsive approach
User participation in financing, operation and maintenance including rehabilitation of the facilities and construction works
Research to find ways to reduce water tariffs through taking into consideration low cost technologies
Privatization of construction, operation, maintenance and social mediation with a particular effort to increase the professionalism of local operators in the sector
Reinforcement of the technical and administrative decentralization of the central administration in its role as sector regulator and establishment of functional relations between the decentralized municipal structures

In May 2004, the call for a Water Initiative for semi-urban areas which are not covered by SONEB emerged. The initiative, which has not yet been implemented in 2006 aims to reach the MDGs in these areas through the construction of rural water supply schemes in about 500 towns by 2015.

Urban and peri-urban areas: The 2006 to 2015 strategy for urban water supply, besides reaching the MDGs by 2015 has the objectives to facilitate the financial viability of public water supply and provide access for poorer households. The strategy is based on four principles:

The involved actors play their respective parts in a coherent legal and institutional framework
The achievement of the MDGs is based on a continuous and harmonious sector development
The sustainability of the sector is backed by an economical and efficacious public water supply
The access to water supply for people with lower incomes is a fundamental imperative of national solidarity

Concerning sanitation, the National Hygiene and Basic Sanitation Program covers the period from 2004 to 2008. It is divided into three sub-programs:

Hygiene and basic sanitation promotion in rural areas
Hygiene and basic sanitation promotion in urban areas
Institutional support for the Hygiene and Basic Sanitation Authority (DHAB) under the Ministry of Health and its decentralized structures

Policy and regulation

The national Ministry of Energy and Water sets general water sector policies and supervises their application. National sanitation policies are defined by the Hygiene and Basic Sanitation Authority (DHAB) under the Ministry of Health.

Benin is currently in the process of implementing a decentralization policy, under which water supply and sanitation becomes responsibility of the 77 municipalities

Communes of Benin

The departments of Benin are subdivided into 77 communes, which in turn are divided into arrondissements and finally into villages or city districts. Prior to 1999 provinces were broken down into 84 districts, titled either urban or rural...

, which count between 25,000 and 600,000 inhabitants. Each municipality is headed by an elected council and a mayor. According to Law No. 97-029 of 1999 on the organization of municipalities, they have full responsibility to provide drinking water and sanitation. The law also provides for the municipalities' right to request technical assistance from the national level or the private sector. Furthermore, the national government is responsible for the transfer of the necessary financial resources for the execution of the tasks to the municipalities.

In rural and semi-urban areas, the General Water Authority (DGEau) under the Ministry of Energy and Water is expected to implement the national policies, to coordinate water use for different purposes and to promote Integrated Water Resources Management

Integrated Water Resources Management

Integrated Water Resources Management has been defined by the Technical Committee of the Global Water Partnership as "a process which promotes the coordinated development and management of water, land...

. In addition, DGEau has the task to set up and maintain a database on water resources and their mobilization. In order to ensure that the national policies are implemented at the local level, DGEau is represented by 11 Water Service divisions and uses six Department divisions of the Ministry of Energy and Water. Under the framework of decentralization, responsibilities were shifted from DGEau to its local divisions.

There is no independent agency for economic regulation of the water and sanitation sector. The national 2007 Growth Strategy for Poverty Reduction calls for the establishment of such an authority.

Service provision

Since the decentralization process, the municipalities and their established Water User Associations became responsible for operation and maintenance of water supply and sanitation. In rural and semi-urban areas, they receive support by DGEau. In urban and peri-urban areas, the National Water Society of Benin (SONEB) has been assigned to assure urban water supply and waste water treatment on behalf of local authorities SONEB supplied 69 urban districts in 2007. Eighty percent of the urban water supply demand is concentrated in Cotonou, Porto Novo, Parakou

Parakou

and Abomey

Abomey

When UNESCO designated the royal palaces of Abomey as a World Heritage Site in 1985 it statedFrom 1993, 50 of the 56 bas-reliefs that formerly decorated the walls of King Glèlè have been located and replaced on the rebuilt structure...

/Bohicon

Bohicon

Bohicon is a city in Benin, and a conurbation of Abomey lying 9 kilometres east of the city on the railway line from Cotonou to Parakou and on Benin’s main highway RNIE 2 which joins the RNIE 4. The commune covers an area of 139 square kilometres and as of 2002 had a population of 113,091...

. Like DGEau, SONEB is placed under the Ministry of Energy and Water. SONEB is a public company, but autonomous in decision-making and financial administration.

Concerning sanitation, the Hygiene and Basic Sanitation Authority provides sanitation in public places like schools and health centers. The authority shares responsibility for sanitation with SONEB, communities and departments of the Ministry of Environment, Housing and Urbanism and the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation.

Other functions

Private sector: In rural areas, private sector participation is supported under the PADEAR strategy. For instance, the private drilling companies FORAG and FORATECH install about 1,000 new water points per year and private operators are also involved in maintenance activities. Besides this, private planning offices prepare feasibility studies

Feasibility study

Feasibility studies aim to objectively and rationally uncover the strengths and weaknesses of the existing business or proposed venture, opportunities and threats as presented by the environment, the resources required to carry through, and ultimately the prospects for success. In its simplest...

and supervise the construction of facilities. Local artisans take over odd jobs. In urban areas, no private participation of SONEB is anticipated. However, in Cotonou the private company SIBEAU operates the only wastewater treatment plant in the country.

Non-governmental organizations: Many non-governmental organizations (NGOs)

Non-governmental organization

A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...

are active in Benin. They usually inform, advise and support the communities concerning their water supply responsibilities.

Economic efficiency

Economic efficiency of water supply can be measured through several indicators. In Benin however, access to the respective data, in the case that they exist, is difficult. However, a frame contract (contrat plan) for the period 2008–2010 between SONEB and the Ministry in charge of water has been signed January 2008. It contains an indicator set allowing to measure achievements of objectives of the urban water strategy adopted in 2007. SONEB documents these achievements in the yearly sector review.

One established indicator is the share of non-revenue water (NRW)

Non-revenue water

Non revenue water is water that has been produced and is “lost” before it reaches the customer. Losses can be real losses or apparent losses . High levels of NRW are detrimental to the financial viability of water utilities, as well to the quality of water itself...

, water which is produced but not billed due to several reasons like leakage and illegal connections. According to the Beninese Ministry of Economic and Financial Development, NRW of SONEB was 21% in 2004. Although there is no agreement on appropriate levels of NRW among professionals, Tynan and Kingdom propose a best practice

Best practice

A best practice is a method or technique that has consistently shown results superior to those achieved with other means, and that is used as a benchmark...

target of 23% in developing countries. According to the figures of the ministry, SONEB complies with that target.

Tariffs and cost recovery

Urban and peri-urban areas A tariff reform has been adopted in July 2009, based on a tariff study conducted in 2006. A preferential connection fee has been fixed at 50.000 CFA in the tariff system. There is no distinction between the different types of consumers (residential, commercial, industrial), but two block tariffs according to the amount of water consumption.

Before the tariff reform, US$0.41 per m³ without additional taxes was charged for the first five m³. For consumption exceeding five m³, the tariff was US$1.03 including taxes per m³. The tariff structure had been active since 2002. In addition, a fixed tariff of US$0.99 for the maintenance of a water meter

Water meter

A water meter is a device used to measure the volume of water usage. This article provides an overview of technical aspects of water meters. The worldwide prevalence of metering as well as its economic benefits and costs are covered in the separate article on water metering.In many developed...

is added. According to a thesis, tariffs cover most of the capital costs and all operating costs. In 2004, the revenue generated by water sales was US$16.7 million.

Rural and semi-urban areas Where AUE operate and maintain the services, they are expected to bear the costs of these tasks. According to the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA)

DANIDA

Danish International Development Agency , is a Danish organisation inside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, set up to provide humanitarian aid and assistance in developing countries.-Origin of name:...

, the sale of water can be very profitable and cover operation and maintenance costs. Water consumption is usually charged in the case of existing rural water supply schemes. Charging tariffs is less common if wells or hand pumps are used. A 2004 World Bank study assumes an average rural water tariff of US$1.04 (500 CFA) per m³ and equally concludes that this tariff usually covers operation and maintenance costs, including replacement. The study also mentions that in most cases the potable water is only used for cooking and drinking and alternate sources are used for other needs. It assumes an average consumption of only 5 l/p/d from improved sources. Consequently, water tariffs are affordable for most households.

Investment and financing

Substantial Investments in the country's water sector have been made since the 1980s. Investments in sanitation have started much later and have been lower. Despite this, there has been no review of sector investments until 2004.

Since 2002, the financial resources allocated to the Ministry of Energy and Water follow a three year program budget, focusing on a unification of all funding (operational and investment costs) and a better replicability of the expenditures and its impacts.

It is difficult to draw up a comprehensive analysis of public expenditures in the water sector. The following figures derive from a 2004 World Bank study, which uses several budgetary documents. Since only the expenditure of the DGEau is shown, investment in urban areas is not included.

Executed Budget of DGEAu according to funding source in million US-Dollar
	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002
Domestic	1.01	0.88	0.87	0.86	0.87	2.17
External	10.86	10.34	6.32	8.59	6.08	6.40
Total	11.87	11.22	7.19	9.45	6.96	8.57

The share of domestic funding increased from 9% in 1997 to 25% in 2002. However, the sector still depends strongly on external funding. Overall expenditure decreased from US$11.87 million in 1997 to US$8.57 million in 2002. The share of total government spending to the sector varied between 1.2 and 3.5%.

The Ministry of Economic and Financial Development reported in 2006 that there is no appropriate mechanism for the development of the urban water supply. External support is indispensable for the implementation of investment programs.

In 2009, the Ministry of Energy and Water and SONEB reported that corruption

Political corruption

Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...

is a huge threat for the sector development. Financial resources often disappear into the pockets of politicians and contractors. Construction contracts often include inflated costs. Especially in rural areas, bribery

Bribery

Bribery, a form of corruption, is an act implying money or gift giving that alters the behavior of the recipient. Bribery constitutes a crime and is defined by Black's Law Dictionary as the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official or...

of local officials is a common practice to ensure water supply.

Financing the latest national strategies

Rural and semi-urban areas The necessary financial resources to reach the MDGs in rural and semi-urban areas from 2006 to 2015 have been estimated to about US$396 million (189 billion CFA) or US$40 million per year. The Ministry of Economic and Financial Development concludes that the MDGs will not be achieved if the expenditures for the sector continue in the same amounts as in the years 2002 to 2005. However, if all available resources are mobilized, Benin will be able to reach the MDGs concerning rural water supply.

Urban and peri-urban areas The required financial resources to finance the achievement of the MDGs in urban and peri-urban areas have been estimated to be about US$400 million (191 billion CFA) or US$40 million per year from 2006 to 2015.
The implementation of the 2006-2015 strategy to reach the MDGs in urban areas is expected to be financed by the national state, municipalities, development partners, financial institutions and SONEB. For small and medium water systems, financing will be provided by the municipalities, by the central state through public budgets, and by development
partners. Large systems will be financed by the national state, municipalities, development banks and development agencies through credits and loans. Peri-urban areas and people with lower incomes will receive subsidies and donations with the help of development partners.

SONEB will finance investments for maintenance and rehabilitation of electromechanical installations with its own financial resources. Therefore, it is planned to improve the self-financing of SONEB through an appropriate tariff system and other measures.

Sanitation In order to achieve the MDGs concerning sanitation, the Ministry of Economic and Financial Development estimates that US$218 million (104 billion CFA) or US$22 million per year will be needed from 2006 to 2015.

External cooperation

The 1992 demand-responsive strategy for rural water supply and sanitation (see above) has been implemented since 1993 with the strong help of external development partners in several departments

Departments of Benin

||Benin is divided into 12 departments , and subdivided into 77 communes . In 1999, the previous six departments were each split into two halves, forming the current 12...

. The different programs are summarized under the Assistance Program for the Development of the Water supply and Sanitation sector in Rural areas (PADEAR).

Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA)

DANIDA was the first development partner, which together with the World Bank financed the implementation of the 1992 strategy in the departments of Zou

Zou Department

Zou is one of the twelve departments of Benin.Zou is divided into the communes of Abomey, Agbangnizoun, Bohicon, Cové, Djidja, Ouinhi, Za-Kpota, Zangnanado, and Zogbodomey....

and Atlantique

Atlantique Department

Atlantique is one of the twelve departments of Benin.Atlantique is divided into the communes of Abomey-Calavi, Allada, Kpomassè, Ouidah, Sô-Ava, Toffo, Tori-Bossito, and Zè.In 1999 the Littoral Department was split off from Atlantique....

in 1993. Five years later, PADEAR financed by DANIDA started in the departments of Alibori

Alibori Department

Alibori is the largest and northernmost départements of Benin, with an area of 25,683 km² and a population of 355,950 . The department is subdivided into 6 communes, each centered at one of the principal towns: Banikoara, Gogounou, Kandi, Karimama, Malanville, and Ségbana. The department borders...

and Borgou

Borgou Department

Borgou is one of the twelve departments of Benin. Borgou borders the country of Nigeria and the departments of Alibori, Atakora, Collines and Donga. The capital of Borgou is Parakou and the total area is 25,310 km.² or 9,772 mi.²....

.

The Second Phase of the Water and Sanitation Sector Programme Support began in 2005 and was expected to end in 2010. The objective of the program is to reduce poverty in rural and semi-urban areas through improved water supply coverage, promotion of hygiene and basic sanitation and sustainable water resources use. The program consists of the five components sector budget support, institutional support, water supply and hygiene education, sanitation and support to the private sector. The total budget is about US$65 million (DKK 306.4 million).

French Development Agency

The French Development Agency (AFD)

French Development Agency

French Development Agency is the French international development agency.The Agence Française de Développement is a public institution providing development financing...

contributes about USD22 million (EUR13.8 million) to the program budget 2005-2008, which aims to fight poverty and to ensure improved access to water supply and sanitation. Besides a contribution to the program budget of the Collines Department

Collines Department

Collines is one of the twelve departments of Benin. Collines was created in 1999 after the Benin government split up the former six departments of Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou, Mono, Oueme and Zou into twelve. Collinies was split from Zou. Since 2008, the capital is Savalou. The departments that...

, the program support includes a component to support the methodology of the program budgets for objectives (BPO) and decentralization, among others, and another component to assist the definition of a sustainable administration policy of rural water supply schemes.

Germany

The German

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

development partners Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ)

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit or GIZ is an international enterprise founded in 1975 by Erhard Eppler and owned by the German Federal Government, operating in many fields across more than 130 countries. It primarily works for public-sector organizations and is...

and German Development Bank (KfW)

KFW

KFW may refer to:*Keith Fullerton Whitman , an American musician*KfW or Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau, a German public-sector financial institution...

financed PADEAR in the departments of Oueme

Ouémé Department

Ouémé is one of the twelve departments of Benin.In 1999 the northern part of the department was split off to form the new Plateau Department....

and Mono

Mono Department

Mono is one of the twelve departments of Benin. The capital of this department is Lokossa. The department of Kouffo was part of Mono until 1999 when the Benin government split up some of the departments and made new departments. The Gen language is only spoken in this department in Benin...

in 1996. Since 2001, they also financed PADEAR in five municipalities of the Atakora Department

Atakora Department

Atakora is the northwestern department of Benin, bordering Togo to the west and Burkina Faso to the north. Also, it borders the departments of Alibori, Borgou, and Donga. It is the most mountainous region of Benin, and the birth place of the president, Mathieu Kérékou...

and two municipalities of the Donga Department

Donga Department

Donga is one of the twelve departments of Benin. Donga was created in 1999 when the government split up the original six departments into twelve. Donga was split from Atakora. The capital of Donga is Djougou. The total area is 10,691 km.² or 4,128mi.²....

. In addition, the German development cooperation supports urban water supply through SONEB and its regional branches.

The Netherlands

Thanks to the Netherland's support, more than 300,000 people were provided with new water points. From 2007 to 2011, the Netherlands finance a program to improve rural water supply and sanitation. The national government of Benin also received funds for the implementation of a hand washing campaign. In addition, the gradual implementation of decentralization to local institutions and municipalities is supported.

World Bank

Since 2003, the World Bank has supported the Republic of Benin through Poverty Reduction Support Credits (PRSCs). The first (2004–2005) and the second (2005–2006) PRSCs, which together provided US$50 million were both designed to help the implementation of the 2002 Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper and included support for improving water supply.

Second Decentralized City Management Together with the French Development Agency, the World Bank contributes to the Second Decentralized City Management program, which started in 2005 and is expected to end in 2010. The program's objective is to increase access to infrastructure and basic services in the Beninese cities of Cotonou, Porto-Novo, Parakou, Abomey-Calavi

Abomey-Calavi

Abomey-Calavi is a city, arrondissement, and commune located in the Atlantique Department of Benin. It is a suburb of Cotonou and is located approximately 18 km from the city centre of Cotonou....

, Kandi

Kandi

Kandi is a town, arrondissement and commune in the Alibori Department of eastern Benin. Originally a market town, Kandi is now primarily a farming centre. It lies on the nation's main north-south highway, 650 km from Cotonou and 325 miles north of Porto-Novo. The town is the capital of...

and Lokossa

Lokossa

Lokossa is an arrondissement, commune, and the capital city of Mono Department in Benin. The name Lokossa translates into English as "underneath the iroko tree"....

. Under the program, basic infrastructure including sewerage is rehabilitated and/or constructed. Community participation and integration is supported, in particular in poor neighborhoods.

Water and Sanitation Program The World Bank's multi-donor partnership Water and Sanitation Program (WSP) is active in Benin and has established a country presence in 2004. The activities focus on the implementation of a strategy to reach the MDGs, in particular in rural areas, where the WSP supports the development and implementation of a communication action plan and a maintenance pilot project. Together with other development partners, the WSP seeks to introduce a strategy for urban water supply and sanitation. In addition, the WSP helps to develop a national hand washing initiative. The WSP works in a close partnership with the World Bank's Water and Urban Unit - West Africa and national development agencies

Aid agency

An aid agency is an organisation dedicated to distributing aid. Many professional aid organisations exist, both within government , between governments as multilateral donors and as private voluntary organizations...

External links

Government of Benin: Growth Strategy for Poverty Reduction (2007) Ministry of Mines, Energy and Water National Water Society of Benin (SONEB) Direction Générale de l'Eau: http://eaubenin.bj/site/index.php Hydroconseil:Livre Bleu Benin

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