Five Lessons for Shaping Policies and Programs to Accelerate Urban Sanitation in Asia: A Case Study on the Beijing Gaobeidian Wastewater Treatment Plant

Asia’s urbanization rate has risen from 32.8% in 1991 to 51.1% in 2020, and more than half of the world’s urban population already lives in Asia.

Key Points

• The Beijing Gaobeidian Wastewater Treatment Plant (Phase I) in the People’s Republic of China, financed by a Japanese official development assistance loan, offers lessons for shaping policies and programs to accelerate urban sanitation in Asia.
• Making effective use of long-term foreign loans and technical cooperation filled gaps in finance, technology, and experience.
• Developing future leadership through project implementation while effectively utilizing training was crucial for sustainable development of the sanitation sector.
• Introducing and gradually increasing wastewater tariffs in line with institutional reforms expanded investment in sanitation.
• Embodying the policies and plans of the central government at the local level accelerated urban sanitation.