The WASH Up
A quarterly update from Water for Women
September 2023 |
|
|
 |
Explore our climate-resilient, inclusive research projects
From 2023 to 2024, the Australian government is investing a further AUD41 million to support climate-resilient, inclusive and sustainable WASH services and systems, and safeguard water security, through WASH projects and research in 16 Asia Pacific countries.
This includes a further AUD4.21 million in funding for seven new research projects to address knowledge and practice gaps for climate-resilient, inclusive WASH. Water for Women recognises that research is a key pathway for development innovation and to inform policymaking and program delivery.
You can now explore each of our new research projects in detail via our website.
|
|
 |
|
Turn up the volume! Voices from Asia Pacific
We need to work harder at valuing, raising and listening to the voices, knowledge and capacities of women, indigenous people and marginalised people , who have unique water system understanding and are at the forefront of the devastating impacts of climate change.
Enabling diverse voices is critical in shaping locally-led, sustainable solutions that ensure equitable access to clean water and sanitation for all (SDG6), healthy ecosystems and a climate-resilient future.
As part of Water and WASH futures in early 2023, we spoke to Pacific and Australian water and WASH practitioners and researchers about climate change the importance of water and WASH, turn up the volume!
|
|
 |
|
Quality, Accessible and Safe Healthcare: Lessons on Strengthening WASH in HCFs
Adequate WASH in healthcare facilities (HCFs) is critical to the delivery of high-quality and safe care, yet the first global WASH in HCF status report in 2015 revealed a crisis in this fundamental aspect of quality healthcare.
This report synthesises and shares lessons arising from Water for Women WASH in HCF projects implemented by civil society organisation (CSO) partners in eight Asia-Pacific countries from 2018 to 2022, including Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Myanmar, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.
|
|
|
Pacific Resilience Meeting
11-13 October
The biennial Pacific Resilience Meeting (PRM) is a key component of the Pacific Resilience Partnership (PRP) governance arrangements endorsed by the Pacific Island Forum Leaders in 2017 to support the effective implementation of the Framework for Resilient Development in the Pacific: An Integrated Approach to Climate Change and Disaster (FRDP) 2017 – 2030. The theme of the 2023 PRM Meeting is "Our People Our Strength: Securing Our Pacific Future"
We are proud to see two Water for Women partners presenting at this event on day two during the session: ‘Resilience Relies on Water’, moderated by SPC (the Pacific Community).
Online attendance is free, register now
|
|
|
|
Navara Kiene
Programs Director - PNG
WaterAid
|
|
|
|
Everlyn Mikasimo
WASH Project Manager
World Vision PNG
|
|
|
|
International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction
13 October
IDDRR will explore the reciprocal relationship between disasters and inequality. Inequality and disaster vulnerability are two sides of the same coin: unequal access to services, such as finance and insurance, leaves the most at risk exposed to the danger of disasters; while disaster impacts exacerbate inequalities and push the most at risk further into poverty.
Global Handwashing Day
International Day of Rural Women
15 October
Clean hands and gender equality are within reach! These two things can have a powerful impact on our progress towards a better and fairer world. On #GlobalHandwashingDay & #RuralWomen’s Day we'll be celebrating the work of partners to accelerate both across the region!
Asia-Pacific Climate Week
13 - 17 November | Johor Bahru, Malaysia
APCW 2023 will discuss climate solutions ahead of COP28, hosted by the government of Malaysia in the city of Johor Bahru.
World Toilet Day
19 November
We're going all out for toilets this World Toilet Day! Stay tuned. The theme this year is 'Accelerating change'.
COP28
30 November - 12 December | Dubai, UAE
COP28 UAE is when the world will take stock of its progress on the Paris Agreement. The first Global Stocktake (GST) will provide a comprehensive assessment of progress since adopting the Paris Agreement. The GST will help align efforts on climate action, including putting measures in place to bridge the gaps in progress.
Water for Women will be attending this event, along with Australia - water partners for develoment and friends. We will provide updates on our participation plans via our news section and social media platforms.
|
|
|
 |
|
SNV
Nepal: Rural water services for all
Pathways taken by a five-year project in Nepal’s Dailekh and Sarlahi districts, resulting in 75,600 residents gaining access to safely managed water supply services.
This learning brief from from Water for Women partner, SNV takes us on a journey of the success and lessons learnt from their Water for Women project that was delivered in Nepal from 2018 - 2022.
|
|
 |
|
Making a splash at World Water Week 2023
World Water Week 2023 focused on innovation at a time of unprecedented challenges. The theme Seeds of Change: Innovative Solutions for a Water-Wise World invited us to rethink how we manage water and the ideas, innovations, and governance systems will we need in a more unstable and water scarce world. Water for Women (as part of Australia - water partners for development) convened and supported several sessions, both online and on-site, with our partners, that explored innovative approaches and solutions in water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) for a water-wise world.
You can view a wrap up of these sessions below:
|
|
 |
Going beyond community-based water planning for climate resilience in Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands National University’s own Collin Benjamin was up in lights on the centre stage of SIWI World Water Week for an inaugural film screening and panel discussion where the audience had the opportunity to view and hear insights from filmmakers about how organisations across the globe are tackling WASH challenges and behaviour change through film. Collin’s film was chosen as one of four films to be shown with the main topic of discussion being: how to be innovative in creating long-term impact for improved WASH.
You can view Collin's film above and catch up on the session here. Collin was joined in Stockholm by Plan International's Tema Wickham, who was also sharing the excellent work being done through Water for Women's WASH and research projects in Solomon Islands, you can view a case study of the work Tema presented here. |
|
How can you take action?
- Include climate resilience in sanitation policies, plans, budgets and services and increase political commitments, particularly to the poorest and most climate-affected communities.
- Incorporate climate-resilient sanitation into National Adaptation Plans and Nationally Determined Contributions and strengthen the climate rationale for investment.
- Strengthen government systems and capacities to provide climate-resilient sanitation services
- Invest in and improve the evidence base for effective adaptation and emissions reduction in climate-resilient sanitation
- Develop and implement affordable, innovative, climate-resilient sanitation technologies and service models
|
|
|
Innovation and impact across the region...
|
|
| Through our Innovation & Impact grants, CSO and ROs have been able to expand on their impactful and innovative work within Water for Women. Below you can read in detail the outcomes of some of this work across Asia and the Pacific. |
|
|
Transformative leadership initiative empowers women and people with disabilities in Bhutan
Leadership qualities have been put to the test by the COVID-19 pandemic, and with the reality of climate change, the impacts of these crises are only expected to be magnified. It is widely agreed that safeguarding access to WASH is paramount, as we face the challenges of our changing climate.
Recognising the need for inclusive and transformative leadership in the WASH sector, an innovative research initiative to scale-up and consolidate leadership initiatives championed by SNV has been undertaken in Bhutan.
|
|
|
|
Study reveals barriers and opportunities in confronting climate change impacts on rural WASH
In an effort to address the pressing need for climate-adaptive WASH programs in Papua New Guinea, WaterAid and Hydrology and Risk Consulting (HARC), an Australian engineering consultancy firm, recently collaborated on a responsive project in Wewak District to address a lack of evidence and practical approaches for climate-resilient WASH programming, which is crucial for vulnerable communities now confronting the impacts of climate change.
|
|
|
|
View latest postcards on our website!
Click here. You can search by organisation, country and thematic tags. |
|
|
Project Spotlight: CFAR in India...
|
|
 |
|
Building Climate-Resilient WASH for Climate-Impacted Vulnerable Populations
With a population of around 1.429 billion, India is now the most populous country in the world,[1] but with only 4% of water resources, India is also one of the world’s most water-stressed countries and faces major water security threats due to projected changes in climate.
Water for Women partners with the Centre for Advocacy and Research (CFAR) to deliver climate-resilient and socially inclusive water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services to 74,420* people through Building Climate-Resilient WASH for Climate-Impacted Vulnerable Populations in Bhubaneswar and Jaipur.
During a recent field visit, we captured some of the faces and places that this project is reaching, you can view these images here.
|
|
Sowing seeds for transformation with these resources...
|
|
| At World Water Week, we shared some of our best tools and resources (and gave them a fruity makeover) for transformative WASH during an interactive workshop called Seeds for Sustainable Solutions - Assessing Transformation in WASH. |
|
- A joint University of Technology Sydney and SNV research study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on gender transformative leadership.
In this academic essay, they uncover a strong connection between interviewed leaders’ empathy, a commitment to equality in their professional and personal lives, and their involvement in designing inclusive WASH-related responses to COVID-19. Read: https://on.snv.org/3ZynaB5
|
|
|
Recent knowledge and learning products published by Water for Women and our partners...
|
|
|
Quality, Accessible and Safe Healthcare: Lessons on Strengthening WASH in Healthcare Facilities
This report highlights the achievements of partners in advancing progress towards basic service levels and draws out lessons learnt under three themes emerging from the research and practical experience across the Fund:
- CSOs’ role in supporting governments' action — global approaches for WASH in HCF
- WASH FIT strengthens collaboration at subnational and facility level
- WASH in HCF progress is enhanced through coordination and learning.
|
|
|
| WASH in Schools: Insights from Water for Women
This learning brief synthesises and shares lessons from Water for Women’s investment in water, sanitation and hygiene in schools as part of 20 projects led by civil society organisation partners, with a mix of support for improved WASH facilities and activities aimed at WASH behaviour change.
|
|
|
 |
|
Climate Finance for the WASH sector in Asia-Pacific
Accessing climate adaptation financing for WASH projects has been a challenge for civil society organisations due to a number of procedural, design and systemic barriers. To address this challenge, a consortium Water for Women partners has developed a series of briefs on climate finance for the WASH sector in the Asia and Pacific. The Pacific regional brief is now available along with five country-specific briefs
|
|
|
21 fact sheets on self-supply water services in Asia and the Pacific
UTS-ISF in partnership UNICEF (EAPRO and ROSA) and support from Water for Women have developed 21 country factsheets providing an overview of self-supplied water services across Asia and the Pacific. These factsheets profile the prevalence of self-supply, spatial and temporal trends, service levels including water quality and availability, equity dimensions, and policy aspects of self-supply in each country.
|
|
|
 |
|
ICYMI
Transformative WASH for climate resilience - a toolkit
For World Water Day and UN Water 2023 Conference we developed a toolkit drawing together key resources from Water for Women and our partners for water and WASH practitioners. This toolkit can help you deliver transformative WASH programming with an explicit focus on supporting local communities and institutions to shift harmful norms that exclude the diverse voices of women, people with disabilities and marginalised groups - a key to building climate resilience.
|
|
Follow us to be sure you don't miss out!
|
|
Water for Women is the Australian Government’s flagship WASH program.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Back to Search
Receive notifications when this page is updated
Subscribe
