Ensuring climate-resilient access to water and sanitation

Context

The Pacific Island countries are facing climate-related challenges: droughts are impacting water resources, and heavy rainfall can contaminate them. Rising air and sea temperatures are exacerbating natural disasters, such as cyclones, and destroying water and sanitation infrastructures.

There is a lack of investment and good governance. Although sources of freshwater are abundant, they cannot be used without investments in the infrastructure. Most people are dependent on unprotected water resources. Inadequate drinking water treatment is causing waterborne diseases.

Objective

Representatives of rural communities and decision-makers in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands have the capacity to maintain decentralised, climate-resilient water and sanitation services.

Approach

The project is implementing measures that improve access to water, ensure wastewater disposal and protect freshwater resources. It is:

• Supporting existing rural water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) systems and expanding access to climate-resilient water sources to make rural communities more resilient to the impacts of climate change
• Spreading climate-resilient WASH approaches by incorporating national plans that improve knowledge management and make funding more accessible
• Optimising the planning processes for climate adaptation measures, and encouraging knowledge sharing with partners who are driving forward climate policy measures and passing on tried-and-tested approaches
• Improving, especially among marginalised groups, the capacity for fact-based decision-making in water management and allowing those involved to identify and harness potential in terms of unused water resources, innovative wastewater systems, improved governance and climate finance

The project takes the gender perspective into account in all coordination, decision-making and planning processes.

Last update: October 2024