Inclusive Pathways Towards Climate-Resilient WASH in Bangladesh

The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

Climate Resilience Research (WRA-CR01)

Research theme: Social inclusion and climate resilience in WASH

Research focus: Development of evidence on the intersection between WASH, disability, climate and health and co-development of principles to strengthen climate-resilience and social inclusion in WASH programs. 

Location: Gaibandha and Satkhira districts, Bangladesh

Partners: London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, World Vision Australia and Bangladesh

As Bangladesh invests in adaptation to reduce the impacts of climate change, this project sought to find ways to ensure that locally led WASH strategies are inclusive of women and men with disabilities. 

Knowledge Product Links

• Animation: Overall Research Process
• Animation: Principles for climate-resilient disability inclusive WASH
• Publication: principles for climate-resilient disability inclusive WASH in Bangladesh.

What we did

We researched a neglected topic, showcasing how existing inequalities faced by persons with disabilities in relation to WASH are worsening through climate change. We generated the first mixed-methods data globally on the issue and co-developed practical solutions to drive change.

“Our research was participatory, not extractive.”

People with disabilities and their caregivers played a central role in shaping the outputs, embodying the principle of "nothing about us without us." We used participatory methods such as PhotoVoice, observation, and workshops to ensure that people with disabilities directly influenced the research findings and co-created solutions tailored to their local needs.

Together with sector experts, we co-developed six principles and suggested activities, which built on existing frameworks, to serve as a practical guide for WASH, disability, and climate resilience practitioners, ensuring the meaningful inclusion of people with disabilities and their caregivers. Rooted in human rights principles—such as participation, affordability, and protection from harm—this framework provides a flexible, adaptable approach to strengthening disability inclusion in climate-resilient WASH efforts.

“By engaging people with disabilities throughout the process, we ensured that the six principles were not only contextually relevant but also actionable, demonstrating the power of inclusive research in shaping meaningful solutions.”

What we found

We found that while national policies mention inclusive WASH, households remain largely unprepared for climate-induced WASH challenges. Local-level policy-implementing organisations lacked early warning mechanisms or emergency WASH support targeted at people with disabilities.

Our outputs included a scoping review highlighting that significant data gaps data related to people with disabilities. We also submitted a mixed-methods study demonstrating that extreme weather in Bangladesh has severely disrupted WASH services, disproportionately affecting people with disabilities and accompanying hygiene paper with arresting data on menstrual health impacts.

Understanding how practical, adaptable guidelines for inclusive climate-resilient WASH can be developed, validated, and disseminated through participatory research to drive real-world change was a key learning from our project. We published principles for climate-resilient disability inclusive WASH in Bangladesh.

A roundtable called “Climate Change and WASH: Why Inclusive Solutions Are Important for People with Disabilities” in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The roundtable emphasised the urgent need for disability-inclusive WASH efforts, improved data collection, stronger accountability, and cross-sector collaboration. With climate change worsening inequalities, the government, NGOs, and the private sector must work together to ensure accessible, resilient, and inclusive WASH services for all. (World Vision Bangladesh)

Research Uptake

We have shared our research findings through global conferences and workshops, including the WEDC Conference, the Emergency Environmental Health Forum, the RGHI Global Hygiene Symposium, and with Water for Women partners during a final learning event.

At the national level, dissemination events were held in Gaibandha, Satkhira, and Dhaka, Bangladesh. These events included face-to-face workshops and media engagements. In the UK, a dissemination event at LSHTM presented our findings in a webinar.

Additionally, this research is contributing to key global reports, including UNICEF’s upcoming Climate Change and Hygiene Report and the Global Disability Report, co-produced by LSHTM, the International Disability Alliance and UNICEF. Our findings are also being integrated into LSHTM’s taught master's courses this academic year and beyond.

Dissemination through journal articles, principles reports, presentations, and international conferences has ensured that our research reaches key national and international stakeholders.

Broader WASH sector contributions

World Vision Bangladesh (WVB) has integrated our research findings into their programs by hosting intervention design workshops which have helped embed the principles for climate-resilient, disability inclusive WASH into their existing initiatives.

Our research is also informing WVB’s strategic planning for the next five years, ensuring that disability inclusion remains a key focus. World Vision has acknowledged gaining a deeper understanding of the specific needs for climate-resilient and disability-inclusive WASH services, particularly in identifying effective infrastructure solutions for vulnerable communities. They also recognised that inclusive design extends beyond physical accessibility, requiring attention to social and cultural barriers to ensure meaningful inclusion.

Our participatory workshops to co-design principles and suggested activities were particularly successful. Organisations like WaterAid, UNICEF, ICCCAD, BRAC, B-SCAN, ADD International, and iDE actively discussed integrating these principles into their own—and government—WASH programming, reinforcing the power of stakeholder-driven approaches in ensuring research uptake and lasting impact.

Where to from here?

The partnership between LSHTM and icddr,b was instrumental in strengthening research capacity, combining global expertise with local contextual knowledge to drive meaningful insights. Building on this strong partnership, we would like to advance climate-resilient inclusive WASH solutions by leveraging the findings and principles from the current study to co-design, pilot, and evaluate interventions integrated into existing climate-resilient WASH programs in Bangladesh. Further, we can take what we have learned and the research design from Bangladesh to generate new evidence and solutions for different climate hazards or in other low-income contexts. Also, because the principles and suggested activities are grounded in universal human rights principles they can be adapted and tested in other sectors, such as livelihoods, as long as people with disabilities and caregivers drive the process.

Where we started

"We are looking forward to our research generating new evidence on how WASH-related climate risks can differently impact women and men with disabilities in Bangladesh, and then strengthening climate-resilient, inclusive WASH interventions.”

Jane Wilbur, Assistant Professor, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine 

Research Description

There is an urgent need for research to provide the evidence base for investment in climate-resilient WASH measures that are equitable and benefit everyone. One in seven people worldwide has a disability, and 80% of disabilities are invisible. People with disabilities are often the most vulnerable to climate hazards and face greater risks because of existing vulnerabilities. There is no rigorous evidence about the disproportionate impacts that climate hazards have on the WASH experiences of people with disabilities.

Led by London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), this research project addresses WASH-related challenges posed by climate change in Bangladesh, as one of the most vulnerable countries to the impacts of climate change. With 90 million people — more than 50% of the population — living in high climate exposure areas, the population faces coastal flooding, erosion, rising sea levels, erratic monsoons, and increasing temperatures. Water resources are impacted by saltwater intrusion, further affecting availability and quality.

The research focuses on two high-risk districts: Satkhira and Gaibandha. Satkhira experiences cyclones, flooding, rising sea levels, and saline intrusion, while Gaibandha faces flooding, river erosion, and monsoon rainfall variability. These hazards decrease water availability, damage WASH services, and increase the risk of water-related diseases.

The research aims to explore the impact of climate events on the WASH experiences of people with disabilities in these districts. By providing evidence for climate-resilient and equitable WASH measures, the study aligns with Bangladesh's Adaptation Plan, which recognises the vulnerability of persons with disabilities and emphasises the need for resilient infrastructure and improved access to WASH.

The research objectives include:

1. Understanding intersections with climate-risk, WASH, health and disability.
2. Comparing impacts on individuals with and without disabilities.
3. Exploring management and inclusive WASH strategies.
4. Co-developing key principles for climate-resilient and inclusive WASH.

By collating and synthesising literature on disability, gender, and climate-resilient WASH interventions in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), this research addresses knowledge gaps and provides recommendations for future research and practice. It explores the differential impacts of climate hazards on women and men with disabilities in Bangladesh, contributing to a significant evidence gap.

This research aims to enhance climate resilience and inclusivity in Bangladesh's WASH sector by providing evidence-based insights, engaging stakeholders, and co-developing principles. The findings and recommendations should support decision-making and improve program design, fostering inclusive and resilient WASH practices in response to climate change challenges. Ultimately, this research seeks to enhance the wellbeing of individuals with disabilities, improve access to WASH services, and promote sustainable development in the face of climate change.

Pathways to impact

1. Evidence synthesis: reviewing and summarising relevant studies on climate-resilient WASH and disability in LMICs, making the evidence more accessible to decision-makers, practitioners and academics.
2. Gender and disability analysis: examining how climate risks affect women and men with and without disabilities differently, informing more inclusive interventions across stakeholders.
3. Empowerment of individuals with disabilities: supporting people with disabilities to understand their role in climate-resilient WASH efforts and co-develop recommendations to ensure these are equitable and inclusive.
4. Enhancing program inclusivity: supporting World Vision Bangladesh to make their climate-resilient WASH programs more disability-inclusive through insights and recommendations.
5. Stakeholder engagement and co-development of principles: engaging relevant stakeholders in Bangladesh to co-develop principles for climate-resilient, inclusive WASH efforts.
6. Advocacy for increased funding: generating evidence on the importance of including individuals with disabilities in climate-resilient WASH efforts, with the aim of increasing political will and funding to address this issue.
7. Knowledge exchange and collaboration: promoting collaboration among WASH, disability, health, and climate adaptation actors, facilitating improved practices in climate-resilient inclusive WASH.

Through these actions, the research project is advancing climate resilience, inclusion, and informed decision-making in Bangladesh's WASH sector.

“Our study aims to provide policymakers and implementers with comprehensive evidence on the current accessibility of WASH and menstrual health and hygiene facilities for people with disabilities in climate-vulnerable areas of Bangladesh. The findings will inform future national and local WASH and climate adaptation policies and interventions.”

Dewan Muhammad Shoaib, Research Investigator, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh

Feature photo: A person with disability accesses an inclusive toilet (World Vision / Proshanto Roy)