The new reality: perspectives on future integrated WASH

Abstract

Over the next 10 years, the humanitarian and development fields will face significant changes as new skills, expanded technologies, and shifting funding streams prompt innovation in order to maintain impact. As the length of humanitarian crises expand relief response can no longer be viewed merely through the humanitarian lens, but current and future crisis responses increasingly require long-term development considerations. Integration across the humanitarian-development nexus will be vital to future emergency response. The interdisciplinary nature of the WASH sector makes it ideally placed to lead further integration with sectors like health, nutrition, livelihoods, child protection, and education. Integration of the WASH sector is not only possible but essential to face the challenges of future crises. COVID-19 is a wake-up call showing how quickly global humanitarian needs can change and the need for a more integrated response to emergencies. Tomorrow’s WASH practitioners will need to be proactive in developing new hard and soft skills and have broader multi-sectoral experience to succeed. Future integration will require stronger relationships between multi-mandated organizations, governments, and the private sector as well as new innovative funding sources, including impact investing, blended finance, and development impact bonds. We argue that there is a unique window of opportunity to bridge these gaps as COVID-19 brings the value of effective WASH programming forward as a foundational part of long-term resilience building. To indeed provide life-saving interventions as humanitarian works claim to do, we must start with a clear focus on the long-term developmental ends in mind.