BRAZZAVILLE: Sanitation Status
Sanitation provision in Brazzaville (capital of the Republic of the Congo) 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 Brazzaville.
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
Brazzaville is an urban agglomeration with a population of about 1.4 million people (Brinkhoff 2010). It is located on the Congo River, opposite the DRC capital of Kinshasa; in some senses this can be considered a single conurbation. Climate is tropical wet and dry (Köppen classification As). Flooding (of the Congo River) is frequent and severe in some years (IFRC 2007); however, stormwater drainage is not a major severe in Brazzaville (AfDB 2009). Industries include textiles, tanning and manufacturing. A large proportion of the population lives in low-income settlements, including very poor informal settlements. Congo was affected by military conflict in the 1990s; a ceasefire was signed in 2000.
Water resources and supply: overview
No information currently available on water resources. About 35% of the population have access to piped water (household or community connection). Summary information on piped water supply management (institutional responsibility, tariff structures, metering, etc.) is given in World Bank (2010).
Sanitation access
AfDB (2009) states that about 10.5% of the population have household flush toilets or improved latrines; the remainder are reported to use low-quality latrines. Neither public latrines nor open defecation appear to be widely used in Brazzaville, though this requires confirmation. Again according to AfDB (2009), most public buildings (schools, markets, health centres) do not have adequate sanitation.
Sewerage system
No sewerage system.
Septage management (septage = nightsoil and/or sludge from onsite facilities)
No specific information available on current situation. The planned AfDB Brazzaville and Pointe Noire Sanitation Project (AfDB 2009) does not project any financing of pit-emptying plant (e.g. tankers), and indeed does not mention sludge transport or related financial aspects.
Sewage treatment (sewage = sewered wastes and/or septage)
No major sewage treatment plants at present. The treatment plant proposed under the planned AfDB Brazzaville and Pointe Noire Sanitation Project (AfDB 2009) is designed for tanker-collected wastewater and sludge from onsite latrines and septic tanks, and comprises a) settling tanks, b) anaerobic digestion of floating matter from settling tanks, c) drying beds for settled matter, and d) a reedbed system for wastewater treatment. The appraisal notes that the plant will be administered by the Brazzaville city council, but that the council is currently in the process of delegating responsibility for sanitation management to private operators. As noted, the appraisal does not appear to envisage any form of subsidy or support of the pit emptying sector.
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 estimates that 90% of Congo’s urban population lives in slum districts.
Responsibility
The appraisal for the planned AfDB Brazzaville and Pointe Noire Sanitation Project (AfDB 2009) notes that the plant will be administered by the Brazzaville city council, but that the council is currently in the process of delegating responsibility for sanitation management to private operators. We do not have any further information on institutional responsibilities.
Sanitation masterplan?
AfDB (2009) reports that a Brazzaville Master Plan Study, funded by the Congolese government, is currently underway.
Sanitation financing
See next section.
Major investments and donor interventions
AfDB “Brazzaville and Pointe Noire Sanitation Project”, planned, not yet approved; Project Appraisal 12 May 2009 (AfDB 2009), total amount 33m US$ (AfDB 20m US$), projected to include 6450 latrines (VIP and EcoSan), 360 public latrines (septic tanks with soakaway), 4 sewage treatment plants (2 Brazzaville, 2 Pointe Noire), and stormwater drainage rehabilitation in Pointe Noire. The Project Appraisal indicates that households will be required to pay 15% of the cost of latrines; however, there is no mention of specific measures to target/assist the poorest households. It is interesting to note that this Project Appraisal rejected sewerage because of low levels of water consumption (thus wastewater flows insufficient for sewerage) and abundant sand, judged likely to enter and block pipes. Other ongoing projects in the watsan sector are listed in AfDB (2008).
Sources and further reading
None known.
References
AfDB (2009) Project Appraisal Document: Brazzaville and Pointe Noire Sanitation Project. http://www.afdb.org/fileadmin/uploads/afdb/Documents/Project-and-Operations/congo.pdf
Brinkhoff T (2010) City Population. http://www.citypopulation.de
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
IFRC [International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies] (2007) Republic of Congo: Floods and landslides DREF operation no. MDRCG003. http://ocha-gwapps1.unog.ch/rw/rwb.nsf/db900sid/SSHN-78ZHL7?OpenDocument&query=brazzaville%20floods&cc=cog&rc=1
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.
Other City Profiles
4) ANTANANARIVO (Madagascar) 3
7) BRAZZAVILLE (Republic of Congo) 3
12) DAR ES SALAAM (Tanzania) 3
14) DURBAN THEKWINI (South Africa) 3
18) JOHANNESBURG-EKURHULENI (South Africa) 3
23) KINSHASA (Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC) 3
27) LUBUMBASHI (Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC) 3
31) MBUJI-MAYI (Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC) 3
35) OUGADOUGOU (Burkina Faso) 3
36) PORT ELIZABETH (South Africa) 3
