The failure of sewage and drainage systems in SubSaharan African cities is frequent and can be considered as a critical issue, both from an environmental standpoint and in terms of associated maintenance costs. This study analyzes the state of the sanitation systems, the elements behind the failures, the environmental concepts used to classify the problems, and the tools and methodological alternatives for ranking the various management solutions. This research illustrates the causes that contribute to the dysfunctions in the sewage systems of Abidjan as a typical example of sewerage systems management challenges in SubSaharan Africa’s large cities. Poor solid waste and wastewater management practices by residents, e.g., illegal dumping of solid waste into the sewers, unauthorized and defective connections to the network, structural dysfunctions related to the age of the network (cracked, denuded, or broken), urban agriculture in the vicinity of the channels, natural phenomena such as erosion, landslides in the undeveloped parts, and the high concentration of vegetation in the network, wholly contribute to the degradation of the network. A variety of decision support systems for the management of the assets of the urban sewage network were presented. The instruments have been categorized based on their capacity and functionality. The operating concept of each of these tools has been outlined, as well as their respective data needs. In addition, the study analyzes challenges related to the usage of existing decision support systems and provides an outlook on future research requirements in this area. This study offers a detailed analysis of the issues of sanitation management and could serve as a reference for other emerging nations in SubSaharan Africa.

The malfunction of sewerage systems and rain water drainage networks is perceived as a very crucial problem by authorities in Côte d'Ivoire, both from an environmental point of view as well as the associated maintenance costs. This paper discusses the state of the sewerage systems, the malfunctions and environmental concepts used to categorize the problems, and the methodological options to prioritize the various management solutions. This review also presents the selection of decision support tools for sewerage asset management. The tools were classified according to their capability and functionality. The working principle of each of these tools was described and the corresponding data requirements were determined. Moreover, the paper discussed the problems associated with the use of existing tools and presents a perspective on future research needs in the field of decision support tools. This paper represents a comprehensive review of the sewage systems management challenges and can serve as a reference document for other developing countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.