Sanitap

What we mean by an ‘Impact Business’

Andrew Tanswell — Thu, 24 Feb 2022 13:00:49 +0000

SaniTap is an Impact Venture. To us, this means that we exclusively engage in business activities that deliver tangible social and/or environmental impact – yet also deliver healthy financial returns. The latter is important, not to maximise shareholder revenue, but because only profitable ventures are scaleable or replicable – and that’s what will further multiply our impact. In this way, ‘value’ is maximised – across all stakeholders.

Other descriptions are helpful – such as ‘Triple-Bottom-Line business’ (Social, Environmental and Financial measures of success) and ‘Triple-P business’ (Profit, People, Planet) and they all convey similar ideas and the intended trajectory of an enterprise.

We prefer using the term Impact Venture or Impact Business. We use commercial, business approaches, our objectives and values mark us out as far more than just a business: it’s the impact that drives us.

From this follows that we carefully measure and report on the social and environmental performance of our activities – to ensure transparency and accountability, but also to provide the data and insights to continually improve the way we operate.

As an Impact Venture we work with investors and philanthropists alike and look to deploy a wide range of financing models. Depending on the application, this could include results-based-financing, refundable grants, TA, equity or commercial loans (i.e. experimental innovation is best financed by grants; but scaling up validated profitable business models by commercial funding).

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Tropical cyclone intensities are projected to increase

Andrew Tanswell — Tue, 22 Feb 2022 11:29:55 +0000

The IPCC AR6 presents a strong body of scientific evidence that it is unequivocal that humans have caused the earth’s climate to warm, with a likely human contribution of 0.8 to 1.3 degrees Celsius to global mean temperature since the late 1800s. But what does this anthropogenic global warming mean for hurricane or tropical cyclone activity?

Sea level rise – which human activity has very likely been the main driver of since at least 1971 according to IPCC AR6 – should be causing higher coastal inundation levels for tropical cyclones that do occur, all else assumed equal.
Tropical cyclone rainfall rates are projected to increase in the future (medium to high confidence) due to anthropogenic warming and accompanying increase in atmospheric moisture content. Modelling studies on average project an increase on the order of 10-15% for rainfall rates averaged within about 100 km of the storm for a 2 degree Celsius global warming scenario.
Tropical cyclone intensities globally are projected to increase (medium to high confidence) on average (by 1 to 10% according to model projections for a 2 degree Celsius global warming). This change would imply an even larger percentage increase in the destructive potential per storm, assuming no reduction in storm size. Storm size responses to anthropogenic warming are uncertain.
The global proportion of tropical cyclones that reach very intense (Category 4 and 5) levels is projected to increase (medium to high confidence) due to anthropogenic warming over the 21st century. There is less confidence in future projections of the global number of Category 4 and 5 storms, since most modelling studies project a decrease (or little change) in the global frequency of all tropical cyclones combined.

Likelihood Statements

The terminology here for likelihood statements generally follows the conventions used in the IPCC assessments, i.e., for the assessed likelihood of an outcome or result:

Very Likely: > 90%,
Likely: > 66%
More Likely Than Not (or Better Than Even Odds) > 50%

Source: Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory – GFDL Aug 2021

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Devastating cyclones hit Madagascar Q1 2022

Andrew Tanswell — Tue, 22 Feb 2022 10:28:49 +0000

Tropical Cyclone Emnati approached Madagascar today 22/02/2022, which would be the fourth named storm to impact Madagascar in under a month. CNN meteorologist Chad Myers explains.

Madagascar has one of the highest cyclone risks among African countries, with an average of three to four cyclones affecting the country every year. Cyclone season begins in November and ends in March and can cause significant damage across the island nation.

Ten days after Tropical Cyclone Batsirai hit the south-east coast of Madagascar, another tropical weather system, Tropical Storm Dumako, made landfall on the north-east coast of the country on 15 February between Sainte-Marie Island and Antalaha.

BBC News: Cyclone Batsirai: Whole villages swept away in Madagascar

The people of Madagascar are experienceing the effects of Climate Change now – right now – not in the decades to come – right now.

SaniTap is working to help make water sources in Madagascar cyclone resistant. Adaptation activities have to start now. Contact us to partner and collaborate.

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Reducing Climate Change Vulnerability

Andrew Tanswell — Mon, 07 Feb 2022 17:20:25 +0000

The World Bank estimates that up to 1.9% of the world population is most vulnerable and at risk of falling into extreme poverty due to the effects of climate change: most of them are concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

The least developed countries (LDCs) are a group of 47 low-income countries highly vulnerable to a changing climate, as well as other economic and environmental shocks, while being minimal contributors to climate change.

Food prices and access to clean water are the most important factor impacting sub-Saharan Africa; while health effects, natural disasters and food prices are more likely in the South Asian context.

To date only 18% of climate finance reaches LDCs, with only 10% reaching the local level

Startle supports new and emerging models for Adaptation funding aimed at engaging the private sector, finance institutions and nationals and local communities in vulnerable countries and communities where Adaptation is needed most.

There is a huge injustice here: LDCs are especially vulnerable even though they are responsible for less than 1% of mankind’s historical greenhouse gas emissions.

Vulnerability is “the propensity or predisposition to be adversely affected”, including susceptibility to harm and lack of capacity to cope and adapt. This is especially true for many poor people in developing countries.

Vulnerability to climate change is determined by three factors:

Exposure to hazards (such as reduced rainfall);
Sensitivity to those hazards (such as an economy dominated by rain-fed agriculture);
Capacity to adapt to those hazards (for example, whether farmers have the money or skills to grow more drought-resistant crops).

Adaptation measures can help reduce vulnerability – for example by lowering sensitivity or building adaptive capacity – as well as allowing populations to benefit from opportunities of climatic changes, such as growing new crops in areas that were previously unsuitable.

Care must be taken when defining a community’s level of vulnerability to avoid bias. Outcome vulnerability (considering quantitative measures) and contextual vulnerability (considering qualitative measures) are two dimensions that must be considered to gain a holistic understanding and picture of a community’s vulnerable state.

One measure of vulnerability is the Climate Risk Index (CRI) by Germanwatch, which indicates a level of exposure and vulnerability to extreme events, highlighting the country’s greatest in need of preparedness and adaption to address increasingly frequent and/or more severe events in the future.

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Only 9% of Madagascar’s rural population has access to safely managed drinking water.

Andrew Tanswell — Mon, 07 Feb 2022 15:15:27 +0000

Just 9% of Madagascar’s rural population has access to safely managed drinking water. A further 27% of the rural population does have some level of basic service but the 64% have limited or no access to clean water. A full 18% of rural populations only have access to surface water.

The picture is better – in relative terms – in urban areas with 38% having access to safe water, but the national average is still only 21%.

Source: SDGData

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Handwashing: The Harsh Facts and Figures

Andrew Tanswell — Mon, 07 Feb 2022 14:37:20 +0000

3 out of 10 people, 2.3 billion, lack a handwashing facility with water and soap at home, including 670 million who have no access to a handwashing facility at all. (WHO/UNICEF 2021)
700 children die every day from diseases linked to unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene. (WHO/UNICEF 2021)
818 million children lack a handwashing facility with water and soap at their school.(WHO/UNICEF 2021)
462 million children attend schools with no handwashing facilities at all. (WHO/UNICEF 2021)
1 in 3 healthcare facilities does not have access to hand hygiene where care is provided. Almost 2 billion people depend on health care facilities without basic water services.
It is estimated that half a million people die each year from diarrhoea or acute respiratory infections which could have been prevented with timely and thorough hand hygiene. (WHO/UNICEF 2021)
Timely hand hygiene prevents up to 50 per cent of avoidable infections acquired during health care delivery, including those affecting the health workforce.
(WHO/UNICEF 2021)
Over the past five years, half a billion people have gained access to basic hand hygiene facilities – a rate of 300,000 per day. (WHO/UNICEF 2021)
Hygiene promotion is the most cost effective health intervention. (World Bank 2016)

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Supporting the SDGs

Andrew Tanswell — Mon, 07 Feb 2022 10:54:59 +0000

The benefits of access to water, sanitation and hygiene cannot be underestimated. Satisfying the physical need for a safe drinking water source is the most immediate advantage of gaining access.

Essential, too, is access to adequate sanitation and good hygiene practices. Access to water, sanitation and hygiene are interconnected and are also essential for achieving other development goals, including the

elimination of poverty and hunger,
reduction of inequalities and
good health and well-being.

It also has profound wider socio-economic impacts, particularly for women and girls.

Nearly every one of the other goals rely in some way on Water, sanitation and hygiene. Critically, the United Nations General Assembly recognizes access to safe water and sanitation as human rights.

SDG 6 seeks to ensure safe drinking water and sanitation for all, focusing on the sustainable management of water resources, wastewater and ecosystems, and acknowledging the importance of an enabling environment. In the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, countries have committed to engage in systematic follow-up and review of progress towards the Goals and targets, using a set of global indicators.

UN Water provides a detailed picture of progress against SDG 6 by country

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Consultancy for the WASH Sector

Andrew Tanswell — Fri, 04 Feb 2022 14:41:34 +0000

Led by the two SaniTap founders, each with over 30 years of experience providing management consultancy along side the team of consultant advisors, associates, and practitioners, SaniTap provides support to: –

· Manage projects in the areas of climate adaptation, community resiliency, and climate risk management;

· Conduct vulnerability assessments and develops adaptation strategies for urban and rural communities through research and stakeholder engagement;

· Develop climate action plans that describe projected climate impacts, quantify current and future greenhouse gas emissions, and identify strategies to build resiliency and reduce emissions;

· Incubate, develop and build businesses including formulating products and services which mitigate, adapt and build resilience in communities facing the impact of climate change;

· Project management of initiatives, managing teams through all phases of a project (planning, implementation, analysis, reports) from initiation to completion;

· Development of Financial Planning and Business/Project Models;

· Gold Standard Voluntary and CDM Compliance Carbon Project for registration of carbon tradable projects;

· Non-market vehicles for Adaptation funding;

· Monitoring, Validation and Reporting for projects.

Our consultancy services are marked by fair treatment and meaningful involvement of clients, community members, and related stakeholders.

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Corporate carbon emissions offsetting

Andrew Tanswell — Thu, 03 Feb 2022 13:42:54 +0000

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Climate action cannot be one-dimensional: projects must deliver meaningful sustainable development benefits beyond emission reductions. [Gold Standard]

By partnering on this project, your company can offset its carbon emissions – whilst contributing to lives saved and improved health of hundreds of thousands of people, who are guaranteed access to safe drinking water for at least the next decade. This combination of environmental and human impact, made possible through your partnership, is an important CSR and communications opportunity – demonstrating genuine care and commitment towards employees, customers and suppliers.

For this project, we partner with one of the world’s leading carbon firms, who assists businesses, NGOs and governments reduce their climate impact and address sustainability issues. The carbon credits generated by this project are Gold Standard verified, which sets best-practice standards for climate and sustainable development interventions to maximise impact, creating value for people around the world and the planet we share.

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Using the Blockchain for Impact Measurement and Results Based Funding

Andrew Tanswell — Thu, 03 Feb 2022 11:33:09 +0000

Blockchain ledger platforms have significant potential to establish transparency and indisputable records of activity and transactions. From the donor / investor point of view, they are able to see exactly where their funding ended up being used.

A blockchain is a distributed ledger database that is shared among the nodes of a computer network. While known for its role in cryptocurrency systems, the blockchain’s key characteristic is the maintenance of a secure and decentralized record of transactions. The innovative application of blockchain is that it guarantees the fidelity and security of a record of data and generates trust without the need for a trusted third party.

This transparency, clarity and irrefutability are of significant value to the impact investment sector – relating measurement and proof of impact.

The project will look at the application of Smart Contracts within a blockchain-enabled Impact Exchange Decentralised Exchange platform.

It is anticipated that the use of the Impact Exchange protocol will spread through Project Developers (service providers) and providers of capital as the funders gain irrefutable evidence of impact for the investment they make, and as the service providers are rewarded for delivery of impact.

The Project explores:

New mechanisms of funding development and climate change investment:

New models for intermediation and support innovation of new structures

Impact measurement and management:

Business case, develop practice, practical toolkits, innovation and scaling, connection with stakeholders

Information gaps and market linkage:

The ability to provide accurate, granular information for use in outcome assessment.

Pace of action and deal flow:

To increase incentives to service providers and lower costs as funders are able to finance specific projects directly.

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