Eng. Ya Deguene Elisabetta MBow | African Expert Database

Professional Summary

Eng. Ya Deguene Elisabetta MBow is a Senegalese senior WASH and urban sanitation specialist with more than 20 years of professional experience in sanitation systems strengthening, fecal sludge management, citywide inclusive sanitation, programme coordination, institutional reform, hydraulic engineering, and multi-country technical advisory across Sub-Saharan Africa and Europe. She holds an MSc in Civil Engineering with specialization in Hydraulic Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Milan and has been a Chartered Engineer in the Province of Milan since 2006. Her professional background is strengthened by international work experience in Senegal, Niger, Côte d Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Benin, Togo, Nigeria, South Africa, Ethiopia, and Italy. Her current work as Urban Sanitation and CWIS Expert with the CWIS Technical Assistance Hub Africa places her at the center of one of Africa’s most important sanitation transformation efforts. She supports national governments, development banks, ministries, utilities, regulators, donors, private operators, and service providers to strengthen urban sanitation systems and improve sustainable sanitation service delivery. Her expertise covers the full sanitation service chain: sector diagnostics, programme design, feasibility studies, institutional reform, PPP structuring, fecal sludge treatment, sanitation service delegation, contract design, performance indicators, capacity building, programme monitoring, resilience integration, and quality assurance. She has supported large-scale sanitation and urban service programmes linked to major development partners, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, World Bank, Islamic Development Bank, AfDB, AFD, and UNICEF-related training initiatives. Deguene’s experience is especially valuable because she combines high-level strategy with practical implementation. She has supported sanitation reform and service delivery in complex and fragile contexts, especially in Sahelian environments, helping programmes adapt and continue under constrained conditions. Her work integrates risk-informed planning, climate resilience, flood-risk considerations, gender and WASH, equity-focused programming, and institutional capacity building. Before her current Africa-focused sanitation role, she built a strong engineering foundation in Italy as Hydraulic Project Engineer, Water and Sanitation Project Engineer, and Quality Engineer/Inspector. She worked on hydraulic studies, water supply and sanitation infrastructure, feasibility and detailed design, tender documentation, environmental and technical compliance, quality control, and contractor monitoring. Beyond formal engineering work, she is also Founder and President of Janghi Italy and coordinator with Janghi Senegal, an education-focused NGO supporting vulnerable children and community-level reintegration. This community engagement adds a human dimension to her profile, showing leadership, social responsibility, and commitment to vulnerable communities. Her profile brings exceptional value to AquaLinked / Water for Africa Experts because she represents the strength of African women engineers working at international level: technically trained, multilingual, institutionally experienced, development-oriented, and capable of supporting governments and partners to transform sanitation systems across Africa.

Key Expertise

Urban sanitation WASH systems strengthening fecal sludge management citywide inclusive sanitation CWIS sanitation sector reform sanitation regulatory frameworks public-private partnership structuring PPP service delivery systems sanitation programme design programme coordination institutional strengthening capacity building monitoring and bottleneck analysis performance monitoring quality assurance donor reporting accountability results-based management gender and WASH integration equity-focused programming climate resilience flood risk integration risk mitigation in fragile contexts emergency preparedness early recovery WASH support sanitation service chain strengthening government advisory development bank support utility coordination private-sector engagement hydraulic engineering water supply infrastructure sanitation infrastructure feasibility studies detailed design tender documentation technical documentation contractor monitoring infrastructure quality control.

Major Projects and Contributions

CWIS Technical Assistance Hub Africa – Multi-Country Urban Sanitation Support
Serves as Urban Sanitation and CWIS Expert with the CWIS Technical Assistance Hub Africa, providing technical and institutional support to national governments and development banks across Sub-Saharan Africa. Her work strengthens urban sanitation systems, fecal sludge management, service delivery frameworks, institutional performance, and sector reform across more than ten African countries.
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Supported Sanitation Systems Strengthening
Contributes to sanitation systems strengthening through CWIS TA Hub Africa work funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Her contribution supports programme design, quality assurance, performance monitoring, capacity building, and institutional transformation for sustainable urban sanitation services.
National Government and Development Bank Advisory Across Sub-Saharan Africa
Provides technical and strategic support to ministries, utilities, donors, development banks, regulators, private sector actors, and sanitation service providers. Her work helps align sanitation investments, policy reform, service delivery, institutional capacity, and implementation performance.
Côte d Ivoire National Strategy for Urban On-Site Sanitation
Contributed to the development of the National Strategy for Urban On-Site Sanitation in Côte d Ivoire, including sector diagnostics, strategic planning, institutional support, and contribution to sanitation code development. This work supports stronger regulation, planning, and service delivery for urban sanitation.
Côte d Ivoire Compact Fecal Sludge Treatment Plant Optimization – Koumassi Digue
Supported technical evaluation and optimization of the compact fecal sludge treatment plant at Koumassi Digue under ONAD, including operational assessment, financial performance analysis, and technical recommendations to improve treatment effectiveness and service sustainability.
Senegal Programme d Assainissement Autonome de Dakar – PAAD
Supported feasibility study and programme structuring for the Programme d Assainissement Autonome de Dakar, including technical, institutional, operational, and financial components. This contribution supports improved on-site sanitation and fecal sludge service delivery in Dakar.
Burkina Faso Multi-City Fecal Sludge Management Diagnostic
Contributed to multi-city diagnostics and technical, economic, and environmental studies for fecal sludge management in Burkina Faso. Her work included support for treatment infrastructure planning, sanitation service-chain assessment, and sector capacity building.
Benin Fecal Sludge Treatment Service Delegation Support
Supported the structuring and delegation of fecal sludge treatment services in Benin, including service model development, contract design, performance indicators, and market development. This work strengthens accountable service delivery and private-sector participation in sanitation.
Niger Innovative Municipal Sanitation Project Feasibility Study
Contributed to feasibility study work for an innovative municipal sanitation project in Niger, including strategic orientation for treatment, valorization, sanitation service improvement, and practical implementation pathways for municipal sanitation development.
Regional Capacity Building for Sanitation Institutions, Utilities and Private Operators
Designed and delivered multi-country capacity building programmes for national institutions, utilities, regulators, private operators, and service providers. Her work included regional training with development partners such as Islamic Development Bank and World Bank, as well as contributions as a resource person to UNICEF-led training sessions.
Fragile-Context Sanitation Programme Continuity in the Sahel
Supported programme adaptation and continuity in fragile and politically unstable contexts in the Sahel, ensuring sanitation service delivery and institutional support under constrained conditions. This work reflects strong experience in risk mitigation, resilience, and operational continuity.
Climate Resilience, Flood Risk and Emergency Preparedness Integration in WASH
Contributed to risk-informed planning and integration of resilience, flood risk, climate adaptation, and emergency preparedness into WASH programming. Her contribution supports sanitation systems that remain functional and inclusive under climate and crisis pressures.
Hydraulic Project Engineering – Geodata Engineering, Italy
Served as Hydraulic Project Engineer with Geodata Engineering in Italy, conducting hydraulic studies, feasibility studies, and detailed engineering designs for water supply and sanitation infrastructure while ensuring compliance with environmental and technical standards.
Water and Sanitation Project Engineering – Beglar Engineering, Italy
Served as Water and Sanitation Project Engineer with Beglar Engineering, preparing technical documentation and tender dossiers for wastewater treatment projects and supporting municipal water and sanitation utilities in engineering implementation.
Quality Engineering, Inspection and Contractor Monitoring – Trusteq and Maire Technimont
Worked as Quality Engineer, Inspector and Expediter for Trusteq SRL as consultant for Maire Technimont, overseeing compliance, quality control, contractor monitoring, technical inspection, and infrastructure delivery in complex project environments.
Founder and President – Janghi Italy and Coordination with Janghi Senegal
Founded and leads Janghi Italy and coordinates with Janghi Senegal, an education-focused NGO supporting school reintegration of vulnerable children. Her work includes community engagement, coordination with families and local actors, partnership follow-up, and occasional support to basic school infrastructure such as sanitation and handwashing facilities.
AfWASA CWIS Training of Trainers and Chartered Engineering Leadership
Holds CWIS Training of Trainers certification from the African Water and Sanitation Association and has been a Chartered Engineer in the Province of Milan since 2006. This reflects strong technical credibility, professional recognition, and capacity to train others in sanitation systems strengthening.
Multi-Country African Sanitation Experience
Has worked across Italy, Senegal, Niger, Côte d Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Benin, Togo, Nigeria, South Africa, and Ethiopia. This broad country experience gives her a rare understanding of diverse sanitation systems, institutional environments, service delivery challenges, and African urban development contexts.
Future Contribution: Inclusive, Resilient and Sustainable Sanitation for African Cities
Aims to contribute to large-scale development programmes focused on urban services, sustainable sanitation infrastructure, fecal sludge management, CWIS, institutional capacity, PPP models, climate resilience, emergency preparedness, and inclusive service delivery across Africa.