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Climate justice and safe sanitation

Dear friends and colleagues,

With the annual UN climate change conference underway from 6-18 Nov 2022 (COP27), it is a good time to talk about safe sanitation and climate justice.

When major climate events and shocks are reported in the global media, we see the destruction they can cause, but sanitation and hygiene impacts are often hidden. The uncertainty of not knowing where you can go to the toilet or wash your hands not only has a major impact on health but can also cause people to feel ashamed and lacking in dignity.

People experiencing the most adverse effects of climate change need to be at the centre of conversations around safe sanitation and climate justice. However, the views of those worst affected are often missing.

These recent resources give evidence and recommendations on these issues, looking at direct and longer-term impacts of climate hazards on sanitation:

As always, we welcome your comments and feedback. For any questions or clarifications please contact slh@ids.ac.uk.

Many good wishes,
The Sanitation Learning Hub team

Impact of Climate Hazards on Rural Sanitation and Hygiene Practices in Burkina Faso

A piece of paper with different cards on it. Someone points at a card with a pen. People are crouched around the paper with only their feet or legs visible.

Led by Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé (IRSS) in collaboration with UNICEF Burkina Faso, SLH, and ISF-UTS, this research shows the crosscutting impacts that climate hazards have on sanitation and hygiene practices and programmes in the East Region in Burkina Faso.

Recommendations

Reinforce sanitation as a priority at household and community level.
Integrate climate risk factors and adaptations into ongoing sanitation interventions.
Prepare specific guidance at a commune (area-wide) level.
Facilitate intersectoral collaboration
Draw on existing community-level support networks to increase the durability of latrines.
Build on the strengths of CLTS and community participation.
Consider alternative methods where needed.

Photo caption: Exchanges with women in the village during the impact diagram activity. Credit: IRSS Research Team, Burkina Faso

Read the brief

Mainstreaming Climate Risks into Rural Sanitation Programming in Lao PDR

A waterlogged field with a cow in the foreground and a building further back. A rickety wooden fence separates one part of the waterlogging from another. There is also an electric pylon and wires running across the image in the sky.

UTS-ISF and SNV Lao PDR have been working together to mainstream climate risks into rural sanitation programmes.

Recommendations

Think about timing and logical sequencing when integrating consideration of climate risk into programming and be careful not to shift away from sanitation too much.
Only conduct climate risk activities in areas where they are relevant.
Provide training on climate resilience to many government stakeholders at once for greater efficiency, sharing, and learning opportunities.
Ensure inclusive participation.
Integrate climate risk considerations from the beginning, don't think of it as an add-on aspect.
Climate change adaptation need not be viewed as a cumbersome, additional task for rural sanitation programming.

Photo caption: Waterlogging in the village is common during the wet season. Credit: Jeremy Kohlitz

Read the brief

Rural Sanitation and Climate Change: Putting Ideas into Practice

Sharing of experiences and thoughts on addressing climate change impacts on sanitation at a local level are critical to evolving the sanitation sector.

This publication addresses gaps in rural sanitation and hygiene thinking by:

Unpacking the reasons behind the limited progress towards addressing climate change in the sanitation and hygiene sector;
Exploring climate impacts on rural sanitation and hygiene practices;
Placing people, households, and communities at the centre of programming using participatory methods for learning; and
Providing actionable ideas to integrate climate thinking and learning into rural sanitation and hygiene programming at the household and community level.

Read the guidance

Do you find our resources and activities useful for your work?

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