Climate Finance for the WASH sector in Asia-Pacific

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Climate Finance for WASH briefs

Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) is integral to supporting community climate resilience that ensures no one is left behind. Inclusive, climate-resilient WASH goes beyond infrastructure to ensure that solutions meet the needs of the most marginalised and can continue functioning in the face of climate hazards.

Accessing climate adaptation financing for WASH projects has been a challenge for civil society organisations (CSOs) due to a number of procedural, design and systemic barriers. As part of a dedicated initiative under Water for Women's Learning Agenda, a series of briefs on climate finance for the WASH sector in the Asia and Pacific region have been developed by a consortium of agencies, led by WaterAid and including iDE, the University of Technology Sydney's Institute for Sustainable Futures, International Rescue Committee, Plan International and RTI International.

Commencing with a regional brief on climate finance for WASH in the Pacific region launched during the Water and WASH Futures Conference in Brisbane, five additional country briefs are now available providing an overview of climate finance available for the WASH sector in Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Pakistan and Papua New Guinea.

The regional and country briefs identify the main barriers to climate finance access, highlight proven pathways to funding and also recommend ways for CSOs and funders (primarily donor governments and multi-lateral development banks) to improve access to funds for climate-resilient WASH. They are based on analysis of secondary data from a desk review and interviews with key climate finance stakeholders in late 2022.

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Climate Finance for WASH: Pacific Region

The Pacific is home to thousands of islands, many of which are extremely susceptible to the effects of climate change, notably sea level rise. Water resources are particularly vulnerable. Many surface and groundwater sources located in low areas and near the coast are brackish, and rising sea levels will reduce their potability further. WASH initiatives are therefore fundamental as part of the climate response within the Pacific Islands context. This brief provides an overview of the climate finance available for the WASH sector in the Pacific region.

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A thumbnail of the cover of this resource with a feature picture showing the banks along part of Cambodia's Tonlé Sap Lake with some boats in the water and houses built up on stilts in the background

Climate Finance for WASH: Cambodia

Cambodia faces significant climate risks, particularly related to the hydrological cycle, which are likely to worsen in the future unless action is taken. Cambodia's 2020 Nationally Determined Contribution highlights water as a key priority area for action. This brief provides a short overview of the climate finance available for the WASH sector in Cambodia.

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Climate Finance for WASH: India

India's 2022 Nationally Determined Contribution includes enhanced ambitions and a commitment to net zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2070. It recognises WASH as one of the pillars of achieving its climate change strategy, especially regarding adaptation. This brief provides a short overview of the climate finance available for the WASH sector in India.

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A thumbnail of the cover of this resource with a feature picture showing an aerial view of Seketeng Market in Sumbawa, Indonesia

Climate Finance for WASH: Indonesia

This brief provides a short overview of the climate finance available for the WASH and Water Resources Management sectors in Indonesia. It also provides examples of WASH-related strategies in Indonesia’s Enhanced National Determined Contribution and case studies of best practice in accessing climate finance included in annexes.

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Climate Finance for WASH: Pakistan

The Government of Pakistan, in its National Climate Change Policy 2021, prioritised climate-related risks based on an assessment of technological and infrastructure options to improve resilience in the WASH sector. The policy’s goal for 2030 is to ensure sustainable management of water resources for all, in alignment with Sustainable Development Goal 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation). This brief provides a short overview of the climate finance available for the WASH sector in Pakistan.

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Climate Finance for WASH: Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea’s first Nationally Determined Contribution, submitted in 2015, and its current enhanced edition in 2020 both acknowledge water and sanitation is a priority area for adaptation in the country. The National Adaptation Plan also lists water and sanitation as one of nine priority focus areas. This brief provides a short overview of the climate finance available for the WASH sector in Papua New Guinea.

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Water for Women acknowledges Paul Johnston and Meredith Hickman of WaterAid Australia and Juliet Willetts of the University of Technology Sydney's Institute for Sustainable Futures for their leadership of this collaborative Learning Agenda initiative.

These briefs have been developed by a consortium of agencies, led by WaterAid and including iDE, the University of Technology Sydney's Institute for Sustainable Futures, International Rescue Committee, Plan International and RTI International.

We gratefully acknowledge the authorship of Paul Johnston of WaterAid and Tyler Kozole of iDE (Cambodia brief); Anirban Chatterjee of RTI International (India brief); Wahyu Triwahyudi of Plan International (Indonesia brief); Habib Ur Rehman and David Clatworthy of the Interntional Rescue Committee (Pakistan brief); and Nupur Khanna, Tanvi Oza and Paul Johnston of WaterAid (Papua New Guinea brief).

This work was supported by the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.