Water and Sanitation (WASH)

Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programming and the environment are inherently linked and interdependent. Sustainable WASH outcomes cannot be realized where there are poor environmental conditions or practices. A lack of environmental considerations undermines the effectiveness of WASH interventions, for example through the depletion or contamination of water resources.

The consequences of potential environmental impacts from WASH programming extend past water resources. Implementing WASH activities and the continued usage and maintenance of WASH infrastructure can lead to negative environmental impacts such as loss of biodiversity, land and soil degradation and air emissions. Environmental degradation can threaten livelihoods or inhibit recovery activities. Mainstreaming environmental considerations into WASH programming presents an opportunity to preserve and build resilience to future natural and environmental hazards.

Environmental consequences from WASH programming can be externalized to other locations. Transporting solid waste, wastewater or faecal sludge to another location does not resolve the environmental issue. Practitioners need to consider and understand the entirety of the waste and pollution management cycle, particularly the final disposal. Not doing so would be contrary to the do-no-harm principle that humanitarians should abide by.

Climate change introduces many environmental challenges for the WASH sector. Precipitation variability is higher, with increased severity of extreme precipitation phenomena such as floods or droughts. Climate change exacerbates water scarcity in areas already under considerable water scarcity pressures, whilst other areas face increased risk of flooding. Rising sea levels will have significant impacts for freshwater supplies in coastal communities and expanding tropic regions could affect the spread of climate-sensitive diseases.

WASH programs can help build resilience to climatic challenges by promoting climate and environmentally appropriate management of ecosystems that reduce climate risks, and water resources to ensure adequate and sustainable supply to clean water.

To reduce negative environmental impacts, WASH programming should seek to include the following environmental considerations:

• Ensure the sustainability of ground and surface water supplies by conducting assessments, implementing water conservation measures and planning for the appropriate disposal of liquid waste
  • Saltwater intrusion, improper siting of latrines and wastewater discharge are common causes of water contamination
• Ensure the physical resilience of water and sanitation services to disasters as an effective strategy to reduce disaster impact
  • Damaged WASH infrastructure can cause environmental pollution and subsequent health hazards
• Utilize best water resource management practices to avoid pollution and over-extraction of water resources
  • See here for an exploration of the links between WASH and Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM)
  • Prevent over-pumping of groundwater aquifers
  • Properly rehabilitate and decommission wells
  • Conduct hydrological surveys and assessments of sustainable water yields before well drilling and carry out groundwater monitoring of wells to ensure natural recharge is not exceeded
  • Promote innovative approaches to water management such as rooftop rainwater harvesting, grey water reuse and ecological sanitation
• Design WASH interventions to reduce or avoid conflict among water users
  • Undertake community consultation to understand cultural and traditional practices regarding local water use, including the needs of women and marginalized people.
  • Improve public awareness on effective water saving and household level water reuse techniques
• Set up appropriate waste management systems to deal with solid waste, wastewater, hazardous waste, human waste and animal feces in order to prevent severe damage to the environment and public health
  • Recycle and compost solid waste, incorporating excreta where culturally appropriate. This can work to improve livelihoods by generating income and offsetting costs (e.g. compost as fertilizer replacing purchased fertilizer). Efforts need to be linked to livelihood recovery for maximum effectiveness.
• Promote the sustainable use natural resources for WASH infrastructure, and source materials as sustainably as possible
  • Reduce, collect and recycle packaging where possible
• Where possible, reduce greenhouse gas emissions for humanitarian relief activities, such as water trucking
  • Promote energy efficient/alternative energy technologies where appropriate, including solar water pumps (Note: such technologies should be appropriate to the local context, easy to manage/maintain, and provide benefits in the long term)