Community participation in the management of the urban environment in Rufisque (Senegal)

Abstract

This paper describes how problems of inadequate provision for water, sanitation, drainage and the collection and disposal of garbage were tackled in nine low-income communities in Rufisque, Senegal. This was done largely by the inhabitants themselves but in partnership with an NGO (ENDA-Tiers Monde), with local authorities and with support from other agencies. The paper emphasizes how the approach taken - with local problems addressed by local groups working together with technologies they control and with environmental goals integrated from the outset - is one that is far more appropriate to Africa's urban problems. The paper also discusses how these works were funded including how the need for external funding was kept down and the role of a revolving fund.