BAMAKO: Sanitation Status
Sanitation provision in Bamako (the capital of Mali) is grossly deficient, as in most cities in sub-Saharan Africa: most people do not have access to a hygienic toilet; large amounts of faecal waste are discharged to the environment without adequate treatment; this is likely to have major impacts on infectious disease burden and quality of life (Hutton et al. 2007). This article briefly summarizes the current sanitation situation in Bamako.
This page is part of the fully editable open-access reference source on the sanitation status of all major cities in sub-Saharan Africa. The resource considers the 40 urban agglomerations in sub-Saharan Africa with a current population of 1 million or more. To read some of the other 40 country profiles, go back tothe resource Homepage.
N.B These pages should be considered as incomplete provisional drafts, and contributions are actively requested from specialists with expert local knowledge of each specific city
Table of Contents
- Background information
- Water resources and supply: overview
- Sanitation access
- Sewerage system
- Septage management (septage = nightsoil and/or sludge from onsite facilities)
- Sewage treatment (sewage = sewered wastes and/or septage)
- Sanitation in low-income districts
- Responsibility
- Sanitation masterplan?
- Sanitation financing
- Major investments and donor interventions
- Sources and further reading
- References
- Other City Profiles
Background information
Bamako is an urban agglomeration with a population of about 1.8 million people (Brinkhoff 2010). It is a flat inland city on the Niger River. A map of communes (local districts) is given by Debomy (2003). Climate is tropical wet and dry (Köppen classification Aw). According to GFDRR (2009), flooding is not now a major problem, thanks to a recent programme of improved stormwater drainage and solid waste management; we do not currently have further information on this. Pollutant industrial activity includes metal working, textiles and food processing. There is significant agricultural activity within the metropolitan area (Zalle et al. 2003). A large proportion of the population lives in low-income settlements.
Water resources and supply: overview
The treated water supply is obtained largely from the Niger River; some water is also obtained from deep boreholes, and from traditional wells and local surface waters (UNEP 2002; see also UN 2006). We do not currently have any data on projected water resource availability for Bamako, though UN (2006) suggests that current problems are of supply and distribution, rather than resource availability. Debomy (2003) states that the percentage of households with in-plot connection ranges from 12% in Commune I through 27% in Commune VI to 62% in Commune III. WSUP (2009) states that “water coverage” (in-plot piped supply?) in Bamako as a whole is 56%.
Sanitation access
Most households use latrines. Debomey (2003, page 13) indicates that, in low-income districts, about 15% of households have low-quality traditional latrines (wood slab), about 85% simple latrines with concrete slab, less than 10% VIP latrines, and less than 10% flush toilets discharging to septic tanks. In wealthy and middle-income districts flush toilets discharging to septic tanks are predominant, though cement-slab latrines are also widely used. WSUP (2009) states that “safe sanitation coverage” is 28%, and infant mortality rate 108 per 1000. Only a very small minority are connected to sewers. Public toilets do not appear to be widely used (though see WUP 2003). Open defecation does not appear to be common.
Sewerage system
Bamako does not have a sewer system. UN-Habitat (2006) states that the city of Bamako “has 3 networks of mini-sewers (38.5 km) and 9 small hidden sanitation canals whose lengths reach 27 km and cover only 1.5% of the population”; but these “mini-sewers” are greywater drainage systems, not sewers proper.
Septage management (septage = nightsoil and/or sludge from onsite facilities)
Useful studies have been performed by EAWAG (see below). In particular, Debomy (2003) gives very useful information.
Sewage treatment (sewage = sewered wastes and/or septage)
As far as we aware, Bamako currently has no major sewage treatment facilities. Debomey (2003) gives details of a pilot-scale (70 m3/day) sludge-treatment plant at Santianabougou, under construction at the time. This facility will reportedly be managed by the local NGO Semi Saniya (Steiner 2006).
Sanitation in low-income districts
We are not aware of any detailed mapping of high-sanitation-need districts, or of any specific policy for sanitation improvement in informal settlements. UN-Habitat (2006) states that low-income districts with poor sanitation account for more than 40% of the city’s population.
Responsibility
Water supply is provided by a private utility, Energie du Mali SA, which is reported to function relatively efficiently, with good cost recovery and significant capacity for ongoing investment (USAID 2009). A very useful overview of institutional responsibilities is provided by USAID (2009); see also Debomy (2003). Responsibilities for water and sanitation have been decentralized to local district (commune) level, including the six communes of Bamako. Overall responsibility for water and sanitation policy lies with DNH (Direction Nationale de l’Hydraulique); specific responsibility for regulation of urban water supply lies with the CREE (Commission de Regulation de l’Electricité et de l’Eau) (USAID 2009). USAID (2009) states that “Mali’s institutional framework for sanitation services is disorganised, with several agencies sharing responsibilities. Additionally, Mali classifies sanitation as primarily a household responsibility rather than one in which the state can play a constructruvce role”. An interesting small-scale service provider is the local NGO Semi Saniya.
Sanitation masterplan?
An ongoing AfDB-funded project approved in 2004 is reportedly developing a stormwater/wastewater masterplan (schéma directeur) including identification of priority investments and detailed feasibility studies (AfDB 2004).
Sanitation financing
No specific information.
Major investments and donor interventions
Major donor investments in sanitation in Bamako are reportedly being planned (AfDB, World Bank), but little detailed information is available at this stage, and it is not clear if and when these investments will be going ahead; for an overview, see USAID (2009).
An ongoing AfDB-funded project approved in 2004 is reportedly developing a stormwater/wastewater masterplan (schéma directeur) including identification of priority investments and detailed feasibility studies (AfDB 2004).
The pipeline AfDB project “Projet d’assainissement de Bamako”, projected amount 28m US$, implementing agency Direction Nationale de l’Hydraulique et l’Energie. This will reportedly include stormwater drainage and sanitation interventions, but we have no information on what types of intervention.
World Bank (2010) “Urban Infrastructure Development Project”, at project appraisal stage (estimated date of approval: April 2011). Total financing from the World Bank may be 70m US$ (?). The project is projected to comprise 20% sewerage, 20% sanitation, 20% water supply, 20% solid waste management, and 20% institutional strengthening; it will cover not only Bamako, but also other cities including Sikasso. Detailed information about the sanitation investments is not available at this stage.
WSUP is implementing a project aiming to improve water supply and sanitation for a targeted 100,000 people in four districts of Commune VI (WSUP 2009). As at May 2010, this project remains at early stages (WSUP 2010).
UN-Habitat reportedly carried out a sanitation project in Bamako in 2006/2007, focusing on technical studies and institutional strengethening (UN-Habitat 2006). We have no further information about this project.
Sources and further reading
Direction Nationale de l’Hydraulique: http://www.dnh-mali.org/V1/sommaire.php3
Commission de Regulation de l’Electricité et de l’Eau: http://www.creemali.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogsection&id=10&Itemid=99
For various studies of faecal sludge management in Bamako carried out by EAWEG, seehttp://www.eawag.ch/organisation/abteilungen/sandec/publikationen/publications_ewm/ewm_planning?print=1
Debomy (2003) in particular is a very useful source. See also USAID (2009).
References
AfDB (2004) Project: Schéma directeur assainissement Bamako. http://www.afdb.org/en/projects-operations/project-portfolio/project/p-ml-eb0-003/ [As at May 2010, we do not know whether this masterplan has been completed.]
AfDB (2007) Projet d’assainissement de Bamako. http://www.afdb.org/en/projects-operations/project-portfolio/project/p-ml-eb0-002/
Brinkhoff T (2010) City Population. http://www.citypopulation.de
Debomy S (2003) Amélioration de la gestion des boues de vidange par le renforcement du secteur privé local – cas de la Commune VI du District de Bamako. EAWS, Switzerland. http://www.eawag.ch/organisation/abteilungen/sandec/publikationen/publications_ewm/downloads_ewm/renforcement_secteur_prive.pdf
GFDRR (2009) Disaster risk management in reconstruction. http://www.housingreconstruction.org/housing/Part4.2
Hutton G, Haller L & Bartram J (2007) Economic and health effects of increasing coverage of low cost household drinking-water supply and sanitation interventions to countries off-track to meet MDG target 10. Geneva, Switzerland, World Health Organization. http://www.irc.nl/page/38443
Steiner M (2006) Promising initiatives for improved faecal sludge management. EAWAG, Switzerland. http://siteresources.worldbank.org/EXTWAT/Resources/4602122-1215104787836/FSM_Promising_Initiatives.pdf
UN (2006) The United Nations World Water Development Report 2. Case Study: Mali. http://www.unesco.org/water/wwap/wwdr/wwdr2/table_contents.shtml
UNEP (2002) Urban Surficial and Groundwater Pollution in Africa. Country Summary: Mali. http://www.unep.org/dewa/water/groundwater/africa/English/reports/CountrySummaries/Mali/Eng-Summary-Mali.pdf
UNEP/GRID-Arendal (2002) Water availability in Africa. UNEP/GRID-Arendal Maps and Graphics Library. http://maps.grida.no/go/graphic/water_availability_in_africa.
UN-Habitat (2006) Mali: supporting water and sanitation services. http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=3274&catid=501&typeid=24&subMenuId=0#
USAID (2009) Mali: Water and Sanitation Profile. http://www.hip.watsan.net/page/3349
WUP (2001) Public toilet managers: Bamako, Mali. http://web.mit.edu/urbanupgrading/waterandsanitation/resources/examples-pdf/PublicToiletManagersMali.pdf
World Bank (2010) Project Information Document: Mali, Urban Infrastructure Development Project. http://go.worldbank.org/0ZJZCADFO0
WSUP (2009) Programme Factfile: Bamako, Mali. http://www.wsup.com/whatwedo/bamako.htm
WSUP (2010) Quarterly Project Bulletin: Spring 2010. http://www.wsup.com/whatwedo/documents/Bamako_News_Jan_2010.pdf
Zalle D, Meite F & Konate A (2003) The land issue and urban agriculture in Bamako. Urban Agriculture Magazine, December 2003. http://www.ruaf.org/sites/default/files/The%20Land%20Issue%20and%20UA%20in%20Bamako.pdf
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