Perspective: How can we move towards making WASH a climate opportunity?

Every dollar invested in WASH yields multiple times its value through improved health, increased productivity, and enhanced opportunities. Investing in water and sanitation is not just about taps and toilets—it’s a fundamental human right that underpins resilience, water security, and sustainable development for generations to come.  

Yet, securing the resources to uphold the water and sanitation rights of billions of people is increasingly complex. Over 75% of countries report insufficient funding for WASH plans, and UNICEF estimates that US$105 billion per year is needed to meet sanitation-related SDG targets alone.  

Sanitation and water systems—already ill-equipped to provide safely managed services for everyone—are highly vulnerable to climate hazards such as floods, droughts, sea-level rise, extreme rainfall, and temperature changes. Rural communities face heightened risks of service interruptions, disease outbreaks, infrastructure collapse, and water-related conflicts.  

In rural Bangladesh, the 2024 floods destroyed 62,500 toilets and disrupted water points, leading to more than 1,300 cases of acute watery diarrhoea. Heavy rains linked to El Niño caused widespread flooding in East Africa, contributing to Kenya’s fourth cholera outbreak. For years, governments and development partners have directed WASH investment in areas with the highest needs—often in places facing poverty and disease. These investments have supported communities withstand physical hazards and improve their adaptive capacity.  

Evidence is growing that local climate-resilient WASH systems can keep functioning during and after climate events. When people see these systems working in their own areas, they are more likely to adopt them, share them with their neighbours—building local confidence in their value—and sustain practices over time.  

Globally, momentum is building for more integrated approaches to climate resilience. The IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report calls for more effective and just responses grounded in a clear understanding of vulnerability and hazards, and anchored in social equity, environmental integrity, and economic sustainability.  

At COP 30, Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) advanced this agenda by releasing an updated definition that urges countries and partners to align policies, investments, and monitoring around a shared goal—climate-resilient water and sanitation systems for all—always and everywhere. This updated definition reaffirms perspectives championed by SNV and other organisations in the WASH sector: a comprehensive approach to climate resilience must account for physical vulnerability as well as the social and institutional determinants of risk. It emphasises the importance of recognising community capabilities and addressing the deeper structural drivers of vulnerability, including inequality, weak governance, and historical marginalisation. 

Simultaneously, across countries in Asia and Africa, including Nepal, Bhutan, Lao PDR, Ghana, and Mozambique, UTS-ISF documented evidence of climate-resilient and inclusive WASH strategies being implemented by local governments and other stakeholders, with support from SNV.  

In Nepal’s Dailekh and Sarlahi districts, the same climate finance supported local authorities, community-based water user committees, and IWMI, to combine scientific and local knowledge on risks from erratic rainfall, floods, and drought. This informed upgrades to water supplies and spring protections, while female health volunteers promoted safer water practices in flood-prone areas. 

Lao PDR adopted a similar approach, strengthening local government capacity to integrate climate resilience into existing sanitation practices. This resulted in revising national tools, such as the Water Safety Plan guidelines and the WASH Facility Improvement Tool (FIT), to embed climate resilience throughout. Climate considerations were mainstreamed within existing systems—rather than treating them as an add-on. 

In Ghana, local government training in financial planning—supported by the Helmsley Foundation—expanded the budget space for climate-resilient rural water, sanitation, and hygiene (CRRWASH). Local Investment Plans for CRRWASH now detail the extra capital and maintenance costs needed for resilience, justify higher allocations from internally generated funds, and support requests for private sector financing and low-interest loans from local banks. 

Ultimately, bringing diverse WASH stakeholders together to invest in and share learning on climate resilience and inclusion is of key importance, as well as using research to fill knowledge and practice gaps. 

Other examples include SNV’s research with UTS-ISF, which identified practical steps for local officials in Nepal, Bhutan, and Lao PDR to advance climate-resilient WASH, documented in the Climate Hero Toolkit. Additionally, costing studies in Lao PDR mapped the life-cycle costs of resilient sanitation systems. 

The Climate Resilient Sanitation Coalition—a growing collaboration of international organisations, research organisations, and practitioners, including SNV, emphasises that sanitation is part of the climate solution and presents a significant opportunity. 

The case studies presented show that local governments and rural communities—often at the forefront of climate impacts—are already demonstrating that resilience is achievable when they are empowered to lead. When local governments, communities, and development partners work together, WASH systems become stronger, fairer, and more adaptive. Aligning technical support with climate risks, local leadership, and inclusive planning builds confidence, capability, and long-term impact.  

To secure WASH services for future generations, investment must follow this momentum and recognise WASH as a climate-smart investment. By linking research, knowledge sharing, and community action, we can turn climate risk into opportunity—establishing WASH as a foundation for resilience, equity, and hope in a warming world.