Quick tips: Integrating the environment and climate change in water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH)

This note provides quick practical tips to integrate environment and climate change aspects in policy, investment and capacity-development measures on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), as a part of integrated water resource management. Climate change and environmental degradation impact WASH, since water supply and quality depend on the natural water cycle and healthy ecosystems. Reversely, poorly designed WASH can contribute to climate change and environmental degradation, despite sanitation being a key component for downstream environmental protection. The European Commission’s International Partnership Priorities including the EU Green Deal actively contribute to the universal WASH agenda, and foster sustainable development with the primary aim of eradicating poverty.

The Quick Tips series is prepared by the European Commission Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA) to support EU staff and partner countries to ensure the environmental and climate sustainability of new programmes and to implement the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) on climate change and other relevant commitments such as the Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction and the Biodiversity Convention.