New paper reviews frameworks assessing the sanitation economy in LMICs

A new paper co-authored by Dr Guy Hutton, a Senior Economist and Financing Specialist working in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, and Sue Coates, Deputy Executive Director of the Sanitation and Hygiene Fund (SHF), has been published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH).

The paper examines how the sanitation sector assesses different aspects of the sanitation economy and investment readiness in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), at a time when governments and partners face growing pressure to mobilise finance and strengthen enabling conditions for sustainable services for all.

Drawing on targeted internet searches and interviews with representatives from international sanitation sector organisations and universities, the authors identified 39 frameworks that have been used, or are currently used, to examine sanitation market maturity, enabling environment conditions and related aspects of investment readiness.

The review finds that the number and variety of tools reflect significant effort and innovation across the sector. However, frameworks differ widely in structure, emphasis and indicator sets, and they have often been applied in piecemeal and sporadic ways. This makes it difficult to compare findings across countries and track progress over time.

The paper also notes that formal, publicly available evaluations of these frameworks are limited. This constrains learning about what works best, under what conditions and at what cost. It also reinforces the case for stronger collaboration, more consistent use, and greater harmonization around common approaches, so that scarce sector resources generate more comparable, decision-useful evidence to support reform and financing.

This review is particularly relevant to SHF’s work to strengthen evidence and tools that support investment decision-making for Next Generation Sanitation - non-sewered, market based approaches in LMICs. It draws on Dr Hutton’s practical experience working with SHF to develop the Sanitation Economy Maturity Assessment Tool (SANEMAT), designed to support a clearer view of sanitation market maturity and the enabling environment. 

The paper is an open access article published as Review of Frameworks for Assessing the Strength of the Sanitation Economy and Investment Readiness (IJERPH, 2025, 22, 1868). DOI: 10.3390/ijerph22121868. 

Download the paper