Surroundings in Comoros

The quality of everyday surroundings in the Union of the Comoros depends on island, commune, settlement type and the reliability of local services. Around 70% of the population was estimated to live in informal settlements in a 2018 UN-Habitat profile, while urban planning and risk-management enforcement remain limited. Roads, electricity, public sanitation, waste services and water supply may be provided through public utilities, community systems, municipality-based services, development projects or informal arrangements. No nationwide residential-environment service standard, household tariff schedule or universal connection timetable has been verified. Water access is particularly uneven. SONEDE connections, public standpipes, community water systems and household treatment or chlorination are used in different places. UNICEF data for 2022 recorded safely managed sanitation for 49% of the population and at least basic sanitation for 57%; in 2024, only about 35% of people were reported to have handwashing facilities with both water and soap. In Anjouan, 48 community water systems were chlorinated across 20 localities in March 2025. Climate-resilient water points were installed in Kowé after a two-day shortage in October 2025, while nearly 40% of Anjouan rivers were reported to have dried up. Rural schemes can break down when maintenance and funding are weak. Several public programmes are intended to improve conditions, but planned targets are not completed outcomes. The WASH programme approved for 31 March 2026 to 31 March 2031 targets 10,000 household connections, 375 community water points, three ablution blocks and about 200,900 beneficiaries. A planned or ongoing 12-kilometre RN3 section between Mtsangadjou and Foumbouni has an IDA allocation of US$12.5 million and an estimated 13,000 beneficiaries; its coastal corridor faces flooding, sea-level rise and coastal erosion. Household prices, connection fees and service guarantees have not been reliably verified nationwide. A tariff strategy linked to ARSEE, the establishment of DGEAH and related water-sector reforms are planned milestones through 2031. Natural hazards directly affect the places where people live and travel. Floods are described as the most destructive hazard, alongside tropical cyclones, drought, heat, coastal erosion, sea-level rise and volcanic risk on Grand Comore. Landslides and earthquakes also affect exposure. The DGSC under the Ministry of Interior, COSEP, the PNRRC, ANACM and local authorities contribute to warnings, coordination and preparedness. People are expected to follow official alerts, use evacuation arrangements where provided, protect life and property and cooperate with civil-protection measures. Air quality also affects daily surroundings. The 2025 WHO Environmental Health Scorecard reported an annual country PM2.5 mean of 14 micrograms per cubic metre, compared with the WHO guideline of 5 micrograms. Monitoring and policy data remain incomplete, and household energy use contributes to exposure. No nationally documented ambient-noise monitoring system, public noise map, general noise-limit schedule or dedicated complaint channel was verified. Construction projects may nevertheless impose project-specific controls for noise, dust and vibration. Green surroundings are mainly supported through local practice rather than a nationwide urban standard. School tree planting, community reforestation, mangrove restoration and local risk-reduction activities involve the Direction Générale de l’Environnement et des Forêts, communes, village committees, schools and community groups. No nationwide inventory, maintenance standard, access rule or user fee for urban green space has been verified. The relevant concern here is the practical function of public and shared spaces as places for daily use and climate buffering; broader nature protection belongs to a separate subject. Participation usually depends on a programme or a local initiative. WASH projects can provide structured community sessions, feedback channels and grievance mechanisms, while UNICEF-supported community dialogues involve village chiefs, women leaders, young people, communes and associations. UN-Habitat has used participatory resilience planning in Moroni and Fomboni. The NDC 3.0 submitted in March 2026 targets a 57% reduction in greenhouse-gas emissions by 2035 against business as usual while retaining a net-carbon-sink objective. These targets, together with resilient water systems, roads, early warning and community adaptation, describe a transition in progress rather than a completed nationwide service. The main institutions and pathways are therefore distributed: environment, energy and water authorities, SONEDE, ARSEE, regional water directorates, communes, MATUAFTT, the DGSC and project bodies each cover different parts of everyday surroundings. A practical enquiry should identify the island, commune, service or hazard concerned and whether the matter is handled by a public utility, community committee, municipality or funded project.