In sub-Saharan Africa, most people rely on firewood and charcoal for cooking and heating. Using firewood and charcoal in inefficient stoves dangerously pollutes indoor air quality, while cutting down trees without replanting plans degrades the environment. One...

Urban areas around the world are feeling the weight of growing populations. While cities can become hotspots for economic opportunity, they also churn out massive amounts of waste. Untreated waste that returns to the earth can be unsafe – and a waste of precious...

In their efforts to stave off a second wave of COVID-19, scientists from around the world have turned to a new ally: sewage. Given that many people with the virus are asymptomatic and will not be tested for the disease, scientists say sewage could act like a COVID-19...

An estimated 4.5 billion people worldwide live without access to safely managed sanitation, putting them at risk of infectious diseases. Climate change exacerbates these risks by placing strain on sanitation systems. Therefore, sanitation technologies and services...

The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the worst-ever biological disasters. While countries continue to respond to the global crisis, they are also moving towards recovery and adaptation planning at the national and sub-national levels. We need to ensure that these efforts...

As countries around the world are in different stages of responding to the COVID-19 emergency, how should aid agencies and policy makers approach recovery while also addressing climate change? The World Bank blog 'Natural disasters and vulnerable groups: Insights for...

Climate change increases variability in the water cycle and makes extreme weather events more frequent, which threatens billions of people’s access to water and sanitation services and places huge stress on ecosystems. Improved water management, including sanitation,...

Countries are declaring states of emergency while climate change is increasing variability in weather patterns, and other risks such as financial shocks are likely. Therefore, the need to build the general resilience of populations and prepare for these intersecting...

The COVID-19 pandemic has meant that handwashing has made it to the front page of many newspapers. But to fight the pandemic, it is critical that water and sanitation services continue uninterrupted and that efforts are made to increase coverage. Read the full IRC...

COVID19 pandemic: a global threat. What else should we pay attention to? Many infectious diseases are easily transmitted when people have inadequate accesses to toilets, when faeces are insufficiently treated and disposed of, and when personal and domestic hygiene are...

Because handwashing is an important way to reduce transmission, the response to COVID-19 intersects with issues around global access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH). This community page on the Water Action Hub seeks to highlight the connections between...

The 2020 edition of the World Water Development Report was released in conjunction with World Water Day on the 22nd March 2020 under the topic ‘Water and Climate Change’. The report stresses that climate change’s impact on the availability, quality, and quantity of...

Nowhere near enough money is being spent on climate change, and the low levels of funding allocated aren’t being targeted to help the worst affected countries deal with the effects, putting billions of lives at risk. Learn more in the WaterAid report ‘Short-changed on...

COVID-19 has taken lives, devastated economies, and upended relationships. It threatens a new normal fraught with fear and uncertainty. But it has also allowed us to take stock of the interconnected nature of our shared humanity and provide impetus for nations and...

One of the cheapest, easiest, and most important ways to prevent the spread of the coronavirus is frequent handwashing with soap and water. But for many children and families, basic water and hygiene facilities remain out of reach.  40% of the world’s population lacks...

A sustainable future is impossible without universal access to safe, well-functioning and context-appropriate sanitation services. Until this is achieved, sanitation shortfalls will increase the risks human populations face from climate change and climate-related...

Sanitation, hygiene and water are critical for socio-economic development, food security and a healthy environment and are vital for reducing the global burden of disease and improving the health, welfare and productivity of populations. Download the Sanitation and...

How does climate change affect the water and sanitation needs of city residents? These stories from Bangladesh, Mozambique and Zambia give a snapshot of the climate challenges faced around the world. Read the Water & Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP) story...

The coronavirus pandemic poses a grave health threat to Indigenous peoples around the world. Indigenous communities already experience poor access to healthcare, significantly higher rates of communicable and non-communicable diseases, lack of access to essential...

During the spring, heavy rains and flash floods across Yemen interrupted access to safe drinking water and sanitation facilities and destroyed homes and displaced families providing, creating a perfect situation for the spread of cholera. UNICEF article ‘Over 5...

COVID 19 is causing a shockwave around the world and is now the number one concern of the international community. It is fundamental and legitimate to focus on the present of the pandemic. But we must not forget the root causes. It is also essential to think now about...

Super cyclone Amphan ravaged the coasts of India and Bangladesh in May 2020. Satkhira district was one of the hardest hit areas of Bangladesh. The cyclone washed away embankments, mud homes and fisheries, which thousands of families relied upon for their livelihoods,...

Handwashing with soap is the first line of defence in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet inequalities abound in access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), services, and following the advice to wash your hands with soap regularly is not as easy for some as it may...