Boosting climate-resilient water, sanitation and hygiene services
The link between climate change, water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH) and health is vital. WASH services enhance health resilience against climate challenges, aiding communities in recovery from extreme events, adapting to long-term changes and promoting WASH-related mitigation. WASH infrastructure and behaviours are at risk from floods that harm infrastructure, droughts reducing water supply, rising temperatures influencing water usage and disease vectors. The WASH and health sectors also contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, both directly and indirectly.
WHO's emphasis on climate resilience in WASH involves the creation of guidelines, tools and frameworks that support training and risk reduction through water and sanitation safety plans. Additionally, there's a concentrated effort towards establishing climate-resilient, low-carbon health care facilities. Emerging areas of focus include climate-related WASH monitoring, research into WASH-related health outcomes, environmental surveillance and disease vector control.
In order to integrate WASH effectively into climate change and health policies, WHO collaborates with the Climate Change and Health Unit and the Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health (ATACH). WHO participates actively in global networks such as the Water and Climate Coalition, the UN-Water Expert Group on Water and Climate Change and the Coalition on Climate Resilient Sanitation.
