Developing water and sanitation services in refugee settings from emergency to sustainability – The case of Zaatari camp in Jordan

Abstract

As of the beginning of 2017, more than four years after opening, Zaatari refugee camp in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan hosts around 80,000 Syrian refugees. Zaatari is one of the largest refugee camps in the world, in one of the most water scarce countries. Since its establishment, drinking water has been trucked to communal facilities. Wastewater has been trucked from these facilities and from self-constructed storages next to households. To improve future sustainability in equitable water and sanitation access, public health conditions, environmental conservation and operational costs, household connected water and sewage networks are implemented. This shift from emergency to sustainable phase benefitted from adaptation of urban infrastructure methods. Maximising such investment requires stakeholder and project management, throughout design and implementation, for quality control of all processes and outputs, asset management and administrative strategies. A shift is necessary from a humanitarian approach toward a structured master planning vision. The planning urban utility perspective is essential for ensuring operational sustainability in the conception of water and sanitation systems in Zaatari refugee camp.