The document summarizes research ideas for improving water, sanitation, and hygiene in Haiti that were identified through roundtable discussions with economists, experts, and organizations. The top ideas included reducing dependence on external aid and increasing access to sanitation in urban areas, as well as creating waste treatment centers in rural areas and a web platform for research in the WASH sector. Other ideas focused on setting national WASH targets, maintaining infrastructure, commercializing water services outside cities, and implementing management of water resources through activities like restoring ecosystems and establishing rainwater capture systems.

1. Water, Sanitation
and Hygiene
Research Ideas
Port-au-Prince
April 2016

2. Working with 30-50 economists including Nobel Laureates, 100+ sector experts,
government, donor organizations, civil society, development agencies, businesses,
youth, across rural and urban areas to identify, analyze and prioritize interventions
that will deliver greater benefit per gourde spent, helping move Haiti towards a
more prosperous long term future.

3. Copenhagen Consensus
Center organized roundtable
discussions with an aim to
figure out smarter solutions to
the most problematic issues
facing Haiti.
These roundtables are
one of several sources
for research ideas.

4. Research Ideas

5. Top Ideas;
(1 of 5)
• Reduce DINEPA’s dependence on external aid.
• Increase access to sanitation in urban areas.
• Create waste treatment centers in rural areas.
• Create a web platform for studies, projects and research
began in the WASH sector.
• Establish a mechanism for the coordination of actors in
the WASH sector.
• Strengthen the legal framework of the WASH sector
• Establish and implement standards for the construction of
public buildings;
• Link between municipalities and DINEPA.

6. Top Ideas;
(2 of 5)
• Set national WASH targets.
• Maintain existing WASH infrastructure and perpetuates
the service.
• Establish jurisdiction of PPP to reduce illegal
connections and fraud in general.
• Commercialize water and sanitation services outside of
the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince by creating an
investment fund and giving tax incentives.
• Relocate people who are not accessible by DINEPA
• Create public toilets in rural areas.
• Kiosks should be built in popular neighborhoods and
rain water capture systems built in areas with very low
rainfall.

7. Top Ideas;
(3 of 5)
• Public supply of water and sanitation services must be
tailored to the needs and context of regions, districts
(according to the socioeconomic level of the customer
and their buying capacity).
• Strengthen the capacity of municipalities, DINEPA and
the PNH to use punitive measures:
• Apply punitive measures that fine operators in the sewage
sector;
• Punitive measures for NGOs working in the WASH sector
without authorization;
• Implement punitive measures for landlords who rent houses
that do not respond to WASH standards.

8. Top Ideas;
(4 of 5)
• Expanding access to compost toilets for urban areas.
• Install bio-digesters in schools that can turn
biodegradable waste into fertilizer and bio-fuels and
create an additional source of income.
• There must be a strong political leadership that gives
special attention to the water and sanitation sector.
• Water and sanitation funds must be allocated by levying
a tax on a particular product or service.
• There must be a strong political leadership that gives
special attention to the water and sanitation sector.
• Water and sanitation funds must be allocated by levying
a tax on a particular product or service.

9. Top Ideas;
(5 of 5)
• It is necessary to implement a genuine management of
Haitian water resources, focusing on the protection and
monitoring of the quality and flow of water sources:
• Restore fresh water ecosystems in the plains through regular
maintenance to assess the quantity and quality of water
sources;
• Establish rain water capture systems to add to the water
reserves of the DINEPA;
• Establish rain water capture systems in remote drylands;
• Establish a protection zone of the sources of fresh water 10 km
sources and relocate the people living inside that area.

10. For more information www.HaitiPriorise.com