Business innovations for scaling-up water and sanitation services in low-income countries
Event details
| Date | 07.10.2014 |
| Hour | 16:15 › 17:15 |
| Speaker | Dr Heiko Gebauer, Environmental Social Sciences, EAWAG Duebendorf |
| Location | |
| Category | Conferences - Seminars |
Abstract:
We still lack adequate water and sanitation services in low-income countries. 2.8 billion people lack access to improved sanitation facilities and a couple of hundred million people do not have access to affordable and safe water. Despite a large number of pilot studies conducted by non-profit organizations, social enterprises, private firms and governments, all these organizations have difficulties in scaling-up the provision of water and sanitation services. We observed the paradox that “pilots never fail, but also never scale”. This paradox expresses the reality of water and sanitation services in most low-income countries. In this presentation, we present lessons learnedfrom scaling-up water and sanitation services. We describe how business innovations facilitate the scaling-up process. We highlight necessary changes in the business models through the scaling-up process and show also how inconsistencies in the resource configurations in the business model hinder the scaling-up process. Our description supplements the previous arguments that scaling-up requires an enabling environment in terms of sufficient value chains and institutional support. We focus on the recommendations for the organization itself trying to scale-up water and sanitation services.
Short biography:
Dr Heiko Gebauer leads the research group on business innovations for sustainable infrastructure services at the Eawag (Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Research). He did his PhD and habilitation at the University of St.Gallen. He works currently in various projects in low-income countries and collaborates with non-profit organizations, social enterprises, and private firms providing water and sanitation services to the low and middle-income segment in the developing countries.
We still lack adequate water and sanitation services in low-income countries. 2.8 billion people lack access to improved sanitation facilities and a couple of hundred million people do not have access to affordable and safe water. Despite a large number of pilot studies conducted by non-profit organizations, social enterprises, private firms and governments, all these organizations have difficulties in scaling-up the provision of water and sanitation services. We observed the paradox that “pilots never fail, but also never scale”. This paradox expresses the reality of water and sanitation services in most low-income countries. In this presentation, we present lessons learnedfrom scaling-up water and sanitation services. We describe how business innovations facilitate the scaling-up process. We highlight necessary changes in the business models through the scaling-up process and show also how inconsistencies in the resource configurations in the business model hinder the scaling-up process. Our description supplements the previous arguments that scaling-up requires an enabling environment in terms of sufficient value chains and institutional support. We focus on the recommendations for the organization itself trying to scale-up water and sanitation services.
Short biography:
Dr Heiko Gebauer leads the research group on business innovations for sustainable infrastructure services at the Eawag (Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Research). He did his PhD and habilitation at the University of St.Gallen. He works currently in various projects in low-income countries and collaborates with non-profit organizations, social enterprises, and private firms providing water and sanitation services to the low and middle-income segment in the developing countries.
Practical information
- General public
- Free
- This event is internal
Organizer
- EESS - IIE
Contact
- Prof. Samuel Arey, LMCE and EESS coordinator