Water, Sanitation, Hygiene

According to the Centers for Disease Control, global access to safe water, adequate sanitation, and proper hygiene education can reduce illness and death from disease, leading to improved health, poverty reduction, and socio-economic development. However, many countries are challenged to provide these basic necessities to their populations, leaving people at risk for water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH)-related diseases. Resources available within this theme offer information on providing access to safe water and appropriate sanitation facilities, and introducing sound hygiene behaviors.

Water, Sanitation, Hygiene Resources

Rural Laos Renovates Water Systems in Face of Longer Droughts

Publication date:
June 25, 2021
This article describes a community effort in the Nakai District of Central Laos. After a severe dry season in 2015, the USAID Mekong Adaptation and Resilience to Climate Change (Mekong ARCC) project partnered with the International Union for Convervation of Nature to address droughts in Laos due to...Read more
Regional/Country focus:
Laos

Supporting Water Utilities During COVID-19

Publication date:
June 25, 2021
Covid-19 has greatly impacted water utilities and the delivery of safe water services. The pandemic poses a variety of threats to utility providers who are needed more than ever. Utility companies face declining revenues, reduced availability of crucial materials for maintenance and repair, and a...Read more
Regional/Country focus:
Global

Water and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Impacts on Municipal Water Demand

Publication date:
June 25, 2021
Pacific Institute
Covid-19 has had large early impacts on municipal water demands in the United States. This article states that stay-at-home orders have increased water demands for residential use but also decreased demands for industrial and commercial activities, leading to new imbalances in water distribution...Read more
Regional/Country focus:
United States

The Impacts of the Pandemic Remain for Small Water Systems and Customers In-Debt

Publication date:
June 25, 2021
Pacific Institute
Covid-19 has had persistent, wide-ranging impacts on small community water systems. Small community water systems (SCWS) serve millions around the United States in urban, rural, and growing communities. The pandemic poses serious challenges to the operational capacity and financial stability of...Read more
Regional/Country focus:
United States

Responding to COVID-19's Impact on Resilience and Food Security

Publication date:
June 25, 2021
Handwashing is one of the best defenses against the spread of Covid-19. But, developed and developing countries alike have issues providing universal access to effective water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services. The pandemic poses a threat to short- and long-term WASH because of financial...Read more
Regional/Country focus:
Global

Combatting Covid-19 in Africa

Publication date:
June 25, 2021
USAID’s Water for Africa through Leadership and Institutional Support (WALIS) program partners with the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) to build data platforms that aggregate data on water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) needs throughout Africa. The Covid-19 pandemic has challenged WASH...Read more
Regional/Country focus:
Tanzania

WASH (Water, Sanitation & Hygiene) and COVID-19

Publication date:
June 25, 2021
Effective water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) systems are required to protect populations from the spread of Covid-19. But, the large financial impacts the pandemic has had on providers can make it hard to deliver basic services and expand access to safe and reliable water and sanitation sources...Read more
Regional/Country focus:
Global

Watered Down Justice

Publication date:
July 2, 2021
Safe drinking water is a pillar in good water policy, but many communities of color face barriers that lead to a chronic lack of water access. Serious disinvestments in water infrastructure, which are fueled by systemic racism, have made significant impacts on majority-black cities like Newark, New...Read more
Regional/Country focus:
United States

Unsafe Water More Common in Communities of Color

Publication date:
July 2, 2021
In this video, Elizabeth Martinez, of Lideres Campesinas—and a resident of Kern County, California—talks about the fears and challenges of living in a county with a long history of violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act. Michele Roberts of Environmental Justice Health Alliance and NRDC’s Kristi...Read more
Regional/Country focus:
United States

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