WASH stands for Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene and is the focus of SDG 6, which aims to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all (UN, n.d.). WASH incorporates many aspects from drinking water provision, water security, faecal sludge management, menstrual hygiene management, and water management. The aim for WASH service provision is for everyone to have access to "safely managed" drinking water, "safely managed" sanitation facilities and "basic" hygiene, as per the JMP definitions. However with 2.2 billions people still lacking access to safely managed drinking water and 4.2 billion lacking safely manged sanitation the world has a long way to go (UN, n.d.).

Sources

United Nations, n.d., SDG 6, https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal6. Accessed 23 July 2021.

State of the world’s sanitation

Sanitation: the often overlooked component of Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) needs to be brought to the forefront of our attention.

Aquaporine: Combattre la Crise Globale d'Eau en Utilisant le Filtre de la Nature

Une nouvelle technologie de traitement de l'eau utilisée par les astronautes à bord de la Station spatiale internationale pourrait fournir de l'eau propre à des millions de personnes dans le monde. En utilisant des protéines appelées aquaporines, ce système imite les capacités naturelles de filtration des reins humains et des racines des plantes pour purifier et recycler les eaux usées. Face à la demande mondiale croissante en eau, en particulier dans les régions reculées où l'eau potable n'est pas facilement accessible, cette technologie pourrait constituer une méthode de purification de l'eau plus économe en ressources, non seulement dans l'espace, mais aussi sur Terre.

Saneamiento: una aplicación emergente para el sector espacial

Translated by Isabel Zetina

Can space technologies help improve WASH provision in camps and informal settlements?

The Human Right to water and sanitation

What does your morning routine look like? For most readers I’d assume you use the toilet, wash your hands, and maybe take a shower. However, do you ever stop to consider the water you use to shower, or the soap you use to wash your hands? Often, especially in developed countries, these things are taken for granted, rightly considering access to adequate water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) as basic Human Rights (Figure 1).

L’Assainissement: Une Application Emergente pour le Secteur Spatial

Merci à Denis Gringas d'avoir traduit cet article volontairement.

Est ce que les Technologies Spatiales Peuvent Améliorer les Provisions WASH dans les Camps et Quartiers Informels

Le droit humain à l'eau et à l'assainissement

À quoi ressemble votre routine matinale ? Pour la plupart des lecteurs, je suppose que vous utilisez les toilettes, vous vous lavez les mains et peut-être que vous prenez une douche. Cependant, vous arrive-t-il de vous arrêter pour réfléchir à l'eau que vous utilisez sous la douche ou au savon que vous utilisez pour vous laver les mains ?

Indigenous women’s practices in mapping water locations and the role of indigenous groups in shaping earth observation applications

In many communities around the world, water is a constant chore. The short supply and limited access to running water requires people to move places looking for resources, collecting them and bringing it home in gallons, buckets and large pans. And in many communities around Africa, women take this responsibility such as in the Samburu tribe in Kenya. For women of this tribe, this chore is a daily routine.

Aquaporins: Fighting the global water crisis using nature’s own filter

Pratiques des Femmes Autochtones dans la Cartographie des Points d'Eau et Rôle des Groupes Autochtones dans l'Elaboration des Applications d'Observation de la Terre

Merci à Maria Nagui d'avoir traduit cet article volontairement.

Dans de nombreuses communautés autour du monde, l’eau peut devenir une corvée. L’insuffisance et l’accès limité à l’eau courante obligent les déplacements à la recherche de ressources, de les collecter et les ramener à la maison à l’aide de gallons, de sceaux et de grandes casseroles. Dans des nombreuses communautés en Afrique, les femmes assument cette responsabilité, comme dans la tribu de Samburu au Kenya. Pour les femmes de cette tribu, cette tâche est une routine quotidienne.

Interview with Malek Abdulfailat

Malek Abdulfailat has over 10 years of experience mapping and coordinating water-related projects in Palestine, Israel, and Jordon. He is currently leading a new consultation firm working on three projects: Green businesses and Water, EcoTourism and Water, and Solid waste management through women leaders. He has experience using several different space based technologies including spatial analysis and water elevation mapping. He’s realises the importance of space based technologies and believes that one factor needed to unlock their true potential is by increasing access to such tools and by better communicating their potential to policy makers.

Interview with Valdilene Silva Siqueira

Valdilene Siqueira has a diverse background in chemistry and environmental engineering and is currently pursing a master’s degree in Sustainable Territorial Development. Her work and experience has always been closely tied to water management and sanitation. She believes that access to water and ensuring the sustainable management of water resources in a fast-paced changing world are two of the most important challenges for the coming years. Valdilene feels that achieving mutual understanding on how to manage this resource, especially in water-scarce regions, is a real challenge for decision-makers but considers that an intersectoral, integrated and participatory approach is capable of bringing stakeholders together to reconcile their different interests and build collective solutions. 

Interview with Hannah Ritchie, PhD student in WASH at Cranfield University

Hannah has always had a love for the outdoors and especially for being by the sea. From her interest in both hydrogeology and development, developed during her undergraduate studies in geology and her travels respectively, she is now undertaking a PhD in WASH, researching water security in rural communities in Kenya. Hannah undertook a six-month internship with Space4Water at UNOOSA in 2021, where she developed her understanding of the importance and application of space-based technologies in the water sector. She believes that groundwater and sanitation are two areas where space technologies are currently under-exploited but in which they hold a lot of potential.

Interview with Egline Tauya, Head of the Environment and Water Institute at SARDC

Photo of Egline Tauya handing over the Zambezi Atlas to a Member State

Call for local perspectives: Service provision of water, sanitation and hygiene

Local perspectives and case studies

The aim of the local perspectives and case studies feature is to learn about gaps in water resource management from affected individuals, communities, civil society, professionals, researchers or organisations in the field to identify needs or potential solutions that space technologies could contribute to.

Call: 2nd Global Online Stakeholder Consultation in preparation for the UN 2023 Water Conference

Contribute your inputs on the themes proposed by the co-hosts for the UN 2023 Water Conference interactive dialogues!

Interview with Valdilene Silva Siqueira

Interview with Hannah Ritchie, PhD student in WASH at Cranfield University

Interview with Malek Abdulfailat

A celebration of valuing water for World Water Day 2021

World Water Day, celebrated each year on March 22nd, since 1993, celebrates water and raises awareness of the ongoing global water crisis. The theme this year is Valuing Water. Much more than just price, water has huge value for households, food, culture, health, education, and the environment (UN Water 2021).

Call for local perspectives: Service provision of water, sanitation and hygiene

Local perspectives and case studies

Water: addressing the global crisis

Overview

The SDG Academy and the Stockholm International Water Institute have come together to offer this MOOC on some of the most important water issues. They focus on the key role water plays in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, not least SDG 6, about sustainable water and sanitation for all. The course intends to explain the global water crisis through linkages between water, environment, and societal development, focusing on how to tackle issues such as growing water uncertainty and deteriorating water quality.

Water-ForCE Webinar: SDG 6 clean water and sanitation

While substantial progress has been made in increasing access to clean drinking water and sanitation, billions of people—mostly in rural areas—still lack these basic services.

During this webinar, we will be focusing on the targets of the Sustainable Development Goal no 6 (SDG6) on clean water and sanitation:

Speakers:

Second International High-Level Conference on the International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development”, 2018-2028

The Second Dushanbe Water Action Decade Conference will focus on how governments, the United Nations and its entities, other international and regional organizations, international financial institutions, the private sector, civil society organizations, academia, communities, local governments and other stakeholders can catalyze water action and partnerships to contribute to the implementation of water-related goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Paris Climate Agreement, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Finan

42nd WEDC International Conference

Overview

The WEDC International Conference seeks to create a safe, open and honest exchange and debate of experiences of the WASH sector within the changing environment. It supports learning and sharing, which is critical for progress towards global goals and aspirations. The open-access repository of conference contributions will also support the sharing of experiences beyond the event and into the future. Typically attracting more than 400 participants from research, practice and policy communities across more than 40 countries, this is truly a unique international event.

UN 2023 Water Conference

The Conference will aim to inspire action-oriented commitments by stakeholders at all levels. These commitments will comprise the “Water Action Agenda” – a platform for voluntary commitments and new and innovative approaches.

SDG 6 Country Acceleration Case Studies, Brazil Webinar

Illustration of the use of Earth Observation data by Brazil

Context

An SDG 6 Country Acceleration Case Study highlights progress and describes processes, enabling conditions and key lessons learned in a selected country, related to one or several SDG 6 global indicators. As such, the case study is a significant recognition of the progress made on SDG 6 in the country. The case study is meant to encourage continued action to achieve SDG 6 in the country and share the experience with other countries.

Multi-Stakeholder Thematic Webinars: Preparing for the Water Conference and the Water Action Agenda

The Multi-Stakeholder Thematic Webinars will be held virtually as an additional opportunity for stakeholders to prepare for the UN 2023 Water Conference, including to encourage their contributions to the Water Action Agenda.

Unpacking freshwater’s role: Climate mitigation measures in drinking water and sanitation services (Webinar)

What is the role of freshwater in climate change mitigation? This spring, Swedish Water House will host a webinar series diving into the chapters of the recently launched report “The essential drop to reach Net-Zero: Unpacking Freshwater's Role in Climate Change Mitigation”. The report is the first ever summary showing the connections between freshwater and climate mitigation, and how they are inextricably linked. The report shows that water is much more important in mitigating climate change than previously understood.

9th World Water Forum

Overview

The World Water Forum is the world's largest event on water. It has been organized every three years since 1997 by the World Water Council, in partnership with a host country. The 1st World Water Forum was held in Marrakesh in 1993 with few hundred participants. The World Water Forum has grown to be one of the most attended world events, with the number of participants ranging from a few hundred at its start to tens of thousands participants in recent editions.

22nd WaterNet/WARFSA/GWPSA Symposium

Overview

The 22nd WaterNet/WARFSA/GWP-SA Symposium will be held virtually/online and in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

The National University of Science and Technology is the lead host of the 22nd Symposium.

Local Perspectives Case Studies

Samburu tribe lacks access to safe drinking water - Dry spells due to water scarcity

Samburu woman drinking (brownish) well water filtered through the fabric of her dress

The Samburu community in Kenya are pastoralists as they keep animals which is their main source of livelihood. They move from place to place in search of adequate pasture lands and water. Due to the recent dry spell, water sources are dry and there is no water. Both women and girls are walking long distances of about 20 kilometres per day to search for water. This search usually goes on from day until night. In order to save the water they bring back home, some women and girls bath wherever they find the water. The long journeys they partake on in search for and carrying water has impacted their wellbeing as some of them are suffering from backaches. In addition, the water they collect is not so clean to be suitable for drinking, but because they have no other options, they consume this water resulting in them suffering from water-related illnesses. School children have to bring their own water in one or two litre bottles from their homes to school because there is no water in school.

mWater

mWater is a woman-owned small business with a non-profit arm for projects with international organizations and foundations, and a for-profit arm for US Government and private sector clients. Our staff includes senior experts with advanced degrees in environmental engineering, public health, and technology, allowing mWater to create innovative, data-driven management approaches for our partners and all users of the free mWater technology platform.

Community water and Sanitation Agency

The Organisation is a Government agency in charge of providing portable drinking water and water related sanitation services to rural communities. The agency is incharge of achieving WASH related SDGs by 2030 at the remote communities in Ghana.

Smith

Gabrielle Smith

Master's graduate at the University of Oxford

Gabrielle recently graduated with an MSc in Water Science, Policy, and Management from the University of Oxford. Her degree had a large focus on freshwater, with areas of study including drinking water accessibility, wastewater management, water quality, environmental policy, and water in healthcare. Her dissertation focused on freshwater quality and was an evaluation of freshwater pollution in England’s rivers, primarily focusing on the Rivers Thames and Cherwell. It also included an analysis of the environment policy within the UK that pertains to pathogen pollution.

Mgwaba

Nokwanda Mgwaba

Nokwanda Mgwaba holds a MSc degree in Environmental Management and Physical Planning from Stockholm University, a BSc Honours and BSc degrees in Environmental Sciences from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and several certificates in areas that include Climate Change, Integrated Water Resources Management, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, Nature-based Solutions for Disaster and Climate Resilience, and Youth Leadership and Advocacy.

Ritchie

Hannah Ritchie

PhD Researcher at Cranfield University

Hannah is currently a PhD candidate at Cranfield University under the centre for doctoral training (CDT) Water-WISER, whose research focus is water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) for the most marginalised members of the global community. Hannah's PhD is combining physical and social sciences to better understand the challenges of rural water security in lower-middle income countries (LMIC).

Abdulfailat

Malek Abdulfailat

Founder and CEO at EuroMed Alliances for Consultancies and Capacity Development

Malek Abdulfailat is a practitioner, researcher, entrepreneur, and consultant in the field of Water, and Sanitation, Hygiene (WASH). He received his MSc. degree in Water and Environmental Sciences from Birzeit University. Since then Mr. Abualfailat has served in leading technical positions in various projects in the areas of infrastructure development, including water, wastewater, and solid waste management, and has worked on various tasks in relation to institutional capacity building and policy advisory support.

Msiya

Naledi Msiya

Naledi Msiya is a young South African scientist who is highly invested in Science, Technology and the Water Resource Management industry. Due to her passion in the sciences, she pursued studies in the Science field and currently holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Water Management, which was obtained in 2021 and a BSc Degree in Hydrology and Geography, which was obtained in 2019.

WASH

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