Securing sanitation support for climate-vulnerable households in Cambodia

A man who lives in a seasonally flooded part of Cambodia near the Tonle Sap Lake stands, smiling, next to his first ever latrine - an elevated “Sky Latrine” he purchased at a partial discount with a subsidy from iDE (iDE / Tyler Kozole)  

A pioneering research project has developed an effective method for identifying climate-vulnerable households and targeting subsidies for climate-resilient latrines to secure sanitation for some of the poorest and most marginalised communities in Cambodia.

Supported by the Australian Government through a Water for Women Impact and Innovation (I&I) grant, the Adapting Targeted Sanitation Subsidies for Climate Vulnerable Households project was conducted by iDE in Cambodia's Tonle Sap Lake area and facilitated the purchase of partially subsidised climate-resilient latrines by approximately 320 climate-vulnerable households, surpassing the original goal of 200.

iDE also rigorously tested the effectiveness and impacts of this subsidy mechanism. The Randomised Controlled Trial results indicated that offering targeted subsidies increased the likelihood of successful sales conversions for climate-resilient latrine products among vulnerable households by a significant 32%, while not causing distortions in the market.

“[Before] I didn't have enough money to [install the latrine] by myself. When I was asked if I wanted to install the latrine, I wanted to install it, but my livelihood was struggling and I didn’t have enough money. As my children came to visit me they complained about not having latrine which made them uncomfortable. Now since I was subsidised, I was able to purchase the latrine for my home. When the organisation came to promote it and the price was affordable, I decided to install it.”

- Subsidy eligible householder

The I&I project built on iDE's previous work in the WASH sector and has provided evidence of the need for affordable and effective climate-appropriate sanitation technology, particularly in rural areas, as well as practical methods for identifying and targeting climate-vulnerability at the household level. This project has demonstrated how a targeted subsidy model could be used in various contexts by other implementers, including government, to increase sanitation uptake, cost-effectively, and without unintended consequences such as market distortion. By adapting and refining their targeted subsidy mechanism, iDE seeks to address poverty, climate vulnerability, and gender aspects at the household level.

These findings also challenge the traditional approach of relying solely on full subsidies to provide water and sanitation infrastructure. This project has shown that climate-vulnerable households have agency and resources to invest in their families' health, and partial subsidies can effectively increase their willingness and ability to purchase sanitation products. Moreover, the subsidies can be administered in a way that does not disrupt the market or jeopardise the sustainability of sanitation provision.

Broader WASH sector contributions

The project has generated high-quality data through a mixed quantitative and qualitative research approach, which provide valuable insights for the sector. There is particular need to address remaining gaps in reaching climate-vulnerable households with sanitation. These gaps include the limited availability of climate-appropriate sanitation technology and practical methods for identifying and targeting vulnerability.

iDE is now actively engaging with the Cambodian Ministry of Rural Development and the rural water and sanitation sector to contribute learnings and experiences to the development of revised guidelines for sanitation hardware subsidies. The research findings are supporting advocacy efforts and resources to address these challenges. iDE is also applying learnings and data generated from this project in their current Water for Women project, Climate-Resilient Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Scale-Up Program in Cambodia.

Other learning and knowledge from the project:

• Targeted sanitation subsidies for climate vulnerable households

Above: Samroang Saen is a seasonally flooded commune in Kampong Chhnang Province near the Tonle Sap Lake. Every year, for 4 - 6 months the landscape transforms and people must adapt their lives to being constantly surrounded by water. Access to clean water and sanitation is a major challenge during these months (iDE / Tyler Kozole) 

Above right: A latrine business owner and staff install a Sky Latrine in Kampong Kleang commune, rural Siem Reap (iDE / Rana Abdel-Sattar)