Water for Women - Solomon Islands

Progressing climate-resilient WASH for all in Solomon Islands

From 2023 to 2024 Water for Women partnered with Plan International and implementing partner, Live and Learn Environmental Education, to deliver climate-resilient inclusive WASH services to 3,431* people  living in Guadalcanal Province, Solomon Islands. This project was an extension of the New Times, New Targets project (2018 to 2022) which reached 10,028* people. Plan’s Water for Women project finished delivery in December 2024.

Partners: Plan International and Live and Learn Environmental Education (LLEE)

Locations: Guadalcanal province, Solomon Islands

Focus areas: WASH in Schools (WinS), WASH in healthcare facilities (HCFs), systems strengthening for improved and equitable WASH access

During the Water for Women Extension Phase, the Climate Adaptive and Inclusive WASH (CAWS) project supported direct delivery to develop, test and refine tools for climate-resilient inclusive WASH in rural schools, healthcare facilities and communities that achieved significant impact while also establishing an evidence-base for the sector.

In total, some 13,459 people were reached over the seven years of Plan’s Solomon Islands project. During the final two-year Extension Phase, this included 3,431* gaining improved access to climate-resilient inclusive WASH. An additional 103,174 people indirectly benefitted.

Systems strengthening to sustain WASH gains

Building on the gains of the New Times, New Targets Phase 1 WASH in Schools (WinS) work, during the Extension Phase the CAWS project team collaborated closely with the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development (MEHRD), contributing toward an increased priority for WinS nationally, and the embedding of WinS in the recent Education Act. The project also saw WASH budget lines embedded in the school improvement planning template for Guadalcanal Province, with the related allocations by schools showing a mindset and systems shift that will enable ongoing operation and maintenance of new and existing WASH facilities - within and beyond the target area.

Replication and co-financing from Ward Development Committees, communities, schools and clinics to support WASH improvements were also key highlights of the Extension Phase, and provide further evidence of the positive and lasting impact of the project. The project supported knowledge and capacity building of the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) and its Rural WASH divisions, strengthening key stakeholders and duty bearers understanding of climate risk identification and resilience approaches in inclusive WASH projects. The project’s work in improving climate-resilient WASH in healthcare facilities helped to inform the MHMS Environmental Health Division’s inputs into the Health National Adaptation Plan and National Health Workforce strategy through the Policy and Planning Division and the Water Resource bill that at the time of reporting was under development.

"I want to thank the community chiefs, leaders, every community member, and the project team for the work well done. The completion of these hand pump wells signifies the community's acceptance of the project and the efforts, resources, and time they offer to the project. This is a new milestone achieved for both parties, and I hope these hand pump wells will be maintained and utilised for future years."

Jack Filomea, MHMS-RWASH Manager

The project also supported the addition of inclusion elements into the Solomon Islands Integrated Vulnerability Assessment (SIIVA), which is a tool that is being implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Climate, Disaster and Meteorology (MECDM).

Further, the Project strengthened engagement and support for WASH coordination mechanisms for rural WASH via the Sanitation Technical Working Group and the WinS Technical Working Group, sharing the project’s approaches to WinS, WASH in HCFs, and Community-Based Water Security Improvement Planning (CWSIP) with sector actors.

Improving access to climate-resilient WASH for all 

The most visible and significant highlight of the CAWS Extension Phase project was the delivery of water supply infrastructure improvements in communities. Building on community-based water security improvement plans developed with communities during Phase 1, the Extension Phase provided an opportunity to revisit these and apply a stronger climate resilience lens for improvements. The introduction and construction of improved hand dug wells with linings and locally made handpumps in communities represented a significant innovation and transformation with respect to climate resilience and sustainability.

Groundwater is often used as an ‘informal’ and unimproved water source in Solomon Islands communities and is typically not preferred. Government, communities, and some project staff held prejudice against improving the wells. Handpumps provide a cost effective and climate-resilient option for many communities to diversify their water sources and improve resilience to dry periods compared to dominant technologies like rainwater tanks and gravity fed systems. After engagement, including community trainings and water quality testing, perspectives towards groundwater use and the low-cost technology changed dramatically. The Project overcame various challenges, including limited knowledge of and technical skills for construction and installation, to deliver these units and promote the technology to Provincial Government, Ward Development Committees and communities.

Ten locally designed and manufactured handpumps and well linings were installed in five water-stressed communities, and similar improvements were made to two existing shallow wells in other communities, while one new gravity-fed water supply system was constructed and major rehabilitation was conducted for four other water supply systems.

The accessibility of WASH infrastructure and inclusion of gender-sensitive elements such as showers for menstrual health in schools and HCFs was a highlight of the project. The CAWS project supported improved access to climate-resilient inclusive WASH facilities in three schools; two outstanding accessible and climate-resilient sanitation facilities were completed and connected to multiple sources of water for flushing and showering, for resilience purposes and co-funded by the schools.

"Teachers have good information about climate change and WASH. What we provided has strengthened their knowledge and capacity so teachers have skills and knowledge. They are making plans, requesting information and improving WASH in schools."

Esther Tangitha, LLEE Solomon Islands WASH Officer

The project established a WASH in HCF approach based on the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Water and Sanitation for Health Facility Improvement Tool (WASH FIT). The project implemented improvements at two HCFs and in 12 communities, serving more than 2,500 people. For some households and communities, this was the first time they had access to an improved source of water, profoundly impacting on their daily lives.

Further, the CAWS project also saw improved priority for and willingness to talk about sanitation in the target communities. Households and communities reportedly continue to improve their sanitation systems despite the project concluding, including communities outside the target areas.

Empowering equitable approaches for lasting benefits

The CAWS project team’s work in applying the Gender and WASH Monitoring Tool (GWMT) and Gud Disisons, Gud Lidasip tools initiated and supported a process of transformational change within households and communities. Women, men, and project staff reflected on the changing dynamics in community meetings and project engagement that indicated positive social change and improvements in decision-making processes to involve more people, particularly women.

The project’s  continued partnership with Kaleko Steifree supported a structured and evidence-based approach to community and student engagement in menstrual health that Kaleko Steifree continues to use beyond the project. The impacts on school communities and households have been real, with great stories of changed mindsets toward menstruation emerging at the time of reporting. Engagement with the organisation of people with disabilities (OPD), People With Disability Solomon Islands (PWDSI), informed inclusion elements of the Kaleko Steifree Menstrual Health and Hygiene Facilitators Guide, which represents an important intersectional piece of work. The guide was updated to be disability inclusive and to incorporate some sexual health and reproductive rights information with input from women’s rights organisation, Seif Ples.

Accessibility audits of WASH infrastructure undertaken by PWDSI with government and sector actors as part of the CAWS project were an important step in considering and embedding inclusion among key stakeholders. This experience was appreciated by participants, particularly government staff, who indicated limited knowledge and consideration for inclusive design prior to the training. The process highlighted some good practice in project constructed facilities, as well as some gaps that were remediated such as the addition of handrails to ramps and installation of door handles rather than knobs. It also connected PWDSI to these entities and raised participant consciousness about inclusive design.

The project also provided leadership training within the 12 communities where water supply upgrades were implemented, with emphasis on the engagement of women and youth in decision-making, who are often overlooked. This led to improved engagement of women and youth in planning the water supply works, including siting of infrastructure and ensuring the accessibility of water points. The project also provided operations and maintenance training, and training in climate-resilient toilet construction (low water use and flood proof), which included female participants.

"The project has been able to reach vulnerable people in our communities. The inclusive designs for infrastructure in health care facilities and schools as well as our inclusive approaches have touched the lives of many people."

 Angeline Bisi – Plan International Solomon Islands WASH Coordinator

Teachers in Solomon Islands are part of the transformation for equitable water and WASH in schools and communities (Plan International and LLEE)

View more photo updates from our work in Solomon Islands

Lessons learnt

The Plan International and LLEE project team shared the following overarching learnings from implementation of the CAWS project:

• Climate-resilient WASH is more than just “good WASH.” Specifically addressing and considering climate resilience in WASH programs increases its profile and ensures active consideration for the issues (similar to the focus on GEDSI). Despite an emphasis on considering climate resilience in Phase 1, the dedicated focus on climate resilience in the Extension Phase increased the level of climate-resilient work and ensured this remained at the forefront  throughout implementation.
• Increasing the focus on climate resilience is important and relevant, however more work is required to demystify the concept of ‘climate resilience’, including for stakeholders and decision makers to effect systems change.
• Closer, more frequent and higher-level engagement of government actors is critical to maintaining good relations and imparting influence over practice. Persisting in government engagement despite challenges and competing interests can pay off in the long run.
• The responsibility for rural WASH is spread within different government departments and as such, different relationships are required to strengthen systems for schools, clinics and communities. Future projects could benefit from a tighter focus to a specific area within climate-resilient WASH to maximise the potential for impact or increase the scale of investment to allow discrete teams to work in each realm. Targeting a specific area may allow for higher levels of specialisation within climate-resilient WASH and potential for stronger leadership, influence and impact.

… this Project has given us the confidence to engage with high level government actors, and learned of the important to influence these people…. I am proud of the influence the project has had on the lives of people. The ripple effect is seen when people from non-target communities are coming into the Live & Learn office requesting information and support on their community WASH circumstances."

Enif Petsakibo, LLEE Solomon Islands Senior WASH Officer

Looking ahead

There is enormous potential and need for further work on climate-resilient WASH in Solomon Islands. Access to reliable, safe and improved water supplies remains a significant challenge and priority for people in rural areas and rates of improved sanitation are some of the worst globally.

The WASH sector in Solomon Islands is under-resourced and government capacity and leadership in, and priority for WASH is inadequate. National, provincial and ward level processes are not adequately adapted to consider and respond to climate risk.

Community WASH, particularly related to climate-resilient and sustainable rural water supply and sanitation, remains an enormous challenge, with dispersed populations requiring significant investment to enhance capacity and will to change WASH behaviours, improve sanitation access and to diversify and maintain improved, safe water systems.

The Climate Adaptive and Inclusive WASH project established effective approaches to delivering WASH at the local level that can be further refined and scaled up. There are opportunities to support and strengthen climate-resilient WASH at every level - community, ward, provincial, national - and across the school, healthcare and community spaces. This includes opportunities to support:

• Expansion of WinS initiatives by the MEHRD into new provinces (currently in three of nine provinces) and further institutionalisation of the 3-Star approach to WinS nationally
• Improvements in WASH in HCFs nationwide at policy and clinic level
• Community WASH - climate-resilient and sustainable rural water supplies and sanitation improvements.

Feature photo: A woman shares her opinion in a community water security improvement planning meeting in rural Solomon Islands (Plan International Australia)

*Phase 1 beneficiaries were calculated from those who achieved WASH access. Extension Phase beneficiaries were calculated from those who achieved WASH access as well as climate change outcomes. Totals were determined based on outcomes reported by individual projects. See Our Impact.