Environmental Indicators of Climate Risks to Inclusive WASH

Climate change is altering the water cycle and driving extreme weather events in unprecedented ways. These environmental changes pose significant risks for water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services, with the risks often being greatest for marginalised people. Further, due to limitations in the accuracy of climate projections at local levels, it can be difficult to anticipate when and where risks to WASH access will become high at the household level.

This learning resource summarises a range of indicators that WASH service authorities and their civil society organisations (CSOs) can use to monitor the key risks of six climate hazards to household WASH access. Specifically, the indicators pertain to changes in the natural or built environment that may be outside the sphere of control of a WASH program.

Who is it for?

This learning resource is intended to help WASH service authorities and their supporting civil society organisations (CSOs) to reflect on the indicators they could use in their own contexts to monitor climate risks to WASH.

WASH CSOs that want to support government service authorities to proactively monitor and respond to emerging risks to WASH from climate change can use this learning resource as a tool to reflect on elements needed to set up or upgrade a monitoring system.

What does it include?

• Tables of climate risks for WASH and simple environmental indicators that WASH service authorities can use to trigger action to prevent negative impacts on WASH
• Suggested data sources for measuring the indicators
• Guidance on the contexts in which each indicator is most relevant
• Advice on important aspects to consider when putting indicators into practice