WASH & Climate Change  - WASH Institute

WASH & CLIMATE CHANGE 

Ensure climate-resilient, inclusive, and sustainable WASH systems in vulnerable regions by strengthening infrastructure, improving operational resilience, and empowering communities to adapt to the impacts of rising temperatures, floods, and droughts.

Get Involved

By 2028, we aim to test and implement early warning systems, SOPs and climate resilient flood and drought ready WASH designs benefitting over 500,000 people.

THE PROBLEM

Climate change is disrupting WASH systems that millions in India rely on.

India's average temperature has risen by 0.7 deg C between 1901 and 2018 and may rise by 4.4 deg C by 2100.

India experiences more than 17 major floods every year, with over 80% of the population at risk.

By 2025, 6% of India's districts could face extreme water scarcity. Already, 600 million people experience high to extreme water stress.

Poor WASH increases health burden from waterborne diseases, a leading cause for deaths of children below age five.

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OUR APPROACH

We help cities adopt data driven approach to understand the risks, identify gaps, engage communities, and take action for clean toilets, safe wastewater management, and reuse of treated wastewater.

Assess Climate Impacts

Given the limited data on how climate change affects WASH systems, the WASH Institute conducts in-depth studies to understand the impact of increased temperatures, floods, and droughts on WASH infrastructure, daily operations, and service delivery in target regions.

Build Climate-Resilient WASH Infrastructure

Design and implement WASH facilities that can withstand climate stress—such as flood-proof toilets, rainwater harvesting systems, salinity- and heat-resistant water storage units, and treatment infrastructure engineered for extreme temperature, flood, and drought conditions.

Strengthen WASH Operations and Services

Establish early warning systems and comprehensive Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the operation and maintenance of WASH facilities. These measures ensure uninterrupted water supply and sanitation services during disasters through emergency response protocols and adaptive maintenance plans.

Empower Communities and train frontline workers

Develop targeted communication materials to raise community awareness on emergency WASH protocols and their role in adaptation. Provide hands-on training to WASH frontline workers to enable rapid, effective response during climate-related disruptions

Develop policy and guideline

Position the WASH Institute as a national thought leader by developing technical manuals, operational guidelines, and policy recommendations to promote the widespread adoption of climate-resilient WASH infrastructure and service models across India.

RESOURCES

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