Climate
change response
for inclusive
WASH

Community member Etelvina, at one of the new water points built by WaterAid and partners, Timor-Leste. Credit: WaterAid/Tom Greenwood

This research project, as part of the DFAT Water for Women Fund, supports civil society organisations to assess climate change impacts to improve the service, gender and social inclusion outcomes of WASH programs. ISF is partnering with civil society organisations Plan International in Indonesia and WaterAid in Timor-Leste to address climate change in WASH.

Climate change is leading to water stress and insecurity and threatens the sustainability of WASH services across the Asia-Pacific, including in Plan Indonesia and WaterAid Timor-Leste’s Water for Women locations. There is an opportunity to support the WASH sector to build knowledge about how to address the multiple, intersecting impacts of climate change on WASH services and the health, gender equality and wellbeing of communities.

The project drew from a range of climate change adaptation, WASH and gender and social inclusion concepts and on participatory research approaches for assessing climate change.

This research enabled civil society organisations to:

  1. Assess how climate change affects WASH service, gender and social inclusion outcomes;
  2. Use the assessment information and replicate the methods in their Water for Women Projects; and
  3. Encourage adoption of climate change assessment findings and methods by other WASH practitioners and local government

    Project map

    Timor

    Partnered with WaterAid Timor Water for Women Project

    Indonesia

    Partnered with Plan Indonesia Water for Women Project

    Team and partners

    Tamara Megaw

    Tamara Megaw

    Research Consultant
    Profile

    Dr Jeremy Kohlitz

    Dr Jeremy Kohlitz

    Research Principal
    Profile

    Anna Gero

    Anna Gero

    Research Principal
    Profile

    Latest

    Research outputs

    Writing notes on the project wall

    Assessing climate impacts on gender and socially inclusive WASH: lessons from a research-practice project

    This journal article summarises the CCRIW approach, including how the CCRIW activities were designed, the outputs created, and reflections on the approach.

    Type: Journal article

    Date: September 2022

    Citation: Kohlitz, J., Megaw, T., Gero, A., Landa, S., Ximenes, A., Leahy, C. & Chong, J. (2022). Assessing climate impacts on gender and socially inclusive WASH: lessons from a research-practice project. Waterlines 41(3): 1 -11.

    Supporting CSOs to assess climate change impacts and improve the service, gender and social inclusion outcomes of WASH programs

    Our learning paper explains the concepts and thinking behind about how gender and social inclusion, WASH, and climate change are linked that informed the research project behind our Indonesia/Timor-Leste case studies and guidance notes.

    Suggested Citation: Megaw, T., Kohlitz, J., Gero, A. & Chong, J. (2020). Understanding and responding to climate change impacts in inclusive WASH programs – a conceptual framework – Learning Paper. Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney.

    Seminar at UNIKA St. Paulus Ruteng on Impacts of Climate Change on Sustainable and Inclusive WASH

    Through considering the different perspectives of women, men, and people with disabilities in the design of water and sanitation programs will promote social inclusion and increase the sustainability of the services in the face of climate change.

    Type: Seminar Presentation

     

    Date: September 2020

    Climate Change Response for Inclusive WASH: A guidance note for WaterAid Timor-Leste (rural water focused)

    Designed with WaterAid Timor-Leste field staff, this guidance note outlines easy-to-implement community-based activities to get local stakeholders thinking about how people are affected differently by climate impacts on WASH and how gender and social inclusion in WASH builds climate resilience.

     

    Type: Guidance Note

     

    Date: December 2020

     

    Suggested Citation: Kohlitz, J., Megaw, T., Chong, J., Sugi, F., Palaipeni, P., Emanual, Y., Brikman, H., Joman, Y., Landa, S., Talan, J., Leong, L., Kelleher, J. & Gero A., 2020, Climate Change Response for Inclusive WASH: A guidance note for Plan International Indonesia. Prepared by ISF-UTS for Plan International Indonesia.

    Climate Change Response for Inclusive WASH: A guidance note for Plan International Indonesia (rural sanitation focused)

    Designed with Plan International Indonesia, this guidance note outlines easy-to-implement community-based activities to get local stakeholders thinking about how people are affected differently by climate impacts on WASH and how gender and social inclusion in WASH builds climate resilience.

    Type: Guidance Note

     

    Date: December 2020

     

    Suggested Citation: Kohlitz, J., Megaw, T., Chong, J., Sugi, F., Palaipeni, P., Emanual, Y., Brikman, H., Joman, Y., Landa, S., Talan, J., Leong, L., Kelleher, J. & Gero A., 2020, Climate Change Response for Inclusive WASH: A guidance note for Plan International Indonesia. Prepared by ISF-UTS for Plan International Indonesia.

    Socially-inclusive Responses to Climate change Impacts on WASH: Timor-Leste case study (rural water focused)

    This case study focuses on rural water in Timor-Leste. It sheds light on the experiences of community members with climate impacts on WASH and demonstrate how gender and social norms and structures shape how people feel and respond to climate change.

    Type: Case Study

     

    Date: December 2020

     

    Suggested Citation: Leahy, C., Kohlitz, J., Chong, J. (2020). Socially-inclusive Responses to Climate Change Impacts on WASH: Case Study in Asumanu, Liquiçá , Timor-Leste. Prepared for WaterAid Timor-Leste by ISF-UTS.

    Socially-inclusive Responses to Climate change Impacts on WASH: Indonesia case study (rural sanitation focused)

    This case study focuses on sanitation in rural Indonesia. It sheds light on the experiences of community members with climate impacts on WASH and demonstrate how gender and social norms and structures shape how people feel and respond to climate change.

    Type: Case Study

     

    Date: December 2020

     

    Suggested Citation: Megaw, T., Kohlitz, J., Chong, J. (2020). Socially-inclusive Responses to Climate Change Impacts on WASH: Case Study in Manggarai, Flores, Indonesia. Prepared for Plan International Indonesia by ISF-UTS