WASH
Sector providing water, sanitation, and hygiene services.
WASH (or WatSan, WaSH) is an acronym standing for water, sanitation, and hygiene, used as a sector in development cooperation and local governments to provide these services to communities. Its main purposes are to achieve public health gains, implement the human right to water and sanitation, reduce the burden of collecting drinking water for women, and improve education and health outcomes at schools and healthcare facilities. Access to WASH services is an important component of water security and is the focus of the first two targets of Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6).
- field
- Development cooperation, public health, water security
- known_for
- Providing water, sanitation, and hygiene services; focus of SDG 6 targets 6.1 and 6.2
- associated_organizations
- WHO, UNICEF, non-governmental organizations, aid agencies
- key_issue
- Universal, affordable, and sustainable access to WASH
Lore & Background
The WASH concept groups together water supply, sanitation, and hygiene because the impact of deficiencies in each area overlaps strongly. Typical diseases associated with a lack of WASH include diarrhea, malnutrition, stunting, and neglected tropical diseases. Additional health risks exist for women, for example during pregnancy, birth, or menstrual hygiene management. Chronic diarrhea can have long-term negative effects on children's physical and cognitive development. Collecting precise scientific evidence regarding health outcomes from improved WASH access is difficult, and scholars suggest a need for longer-term studies and analysis of combined interventions.
Reader's Guide
WASH is significant because it addresses fundamental human needs and rights, with universal access being a key international development goal. The sector faces major challenges: in 2017, an estimated 2.3 billion people lived without basic sanitation facilities, and 844 million without safe drinking water. Providing safely managed services is difficult in urban slums, and systems can fail soon after installation. Challenges include polluted water sources and climate change impacts on water security. Planning approaches include national WASH plans, women's empowerment, and improving climate resilience. The legacy of WASH is its framing of water, sanitation, and hygiene as interconnected necessities for public health, education, and gender equity, requiring integrated solutions across household and non-household settings like schools and healthcare facilities.
Did You Know?
- The acronym WASH stems from the first letters of 'water, sanitation and hygiene'.
- In 2017, it was estimated that 2.3 billion people lived without basic sanitation facilities.
- Lack of WASH facilities at schools often causes female students to not attend school.
- Groundwater provides critical freshwater supply, particularly in dry regions where surface water availability is limited.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is WASH?
WASH is an acronym for water, sanitation, and hygiene, referring to the sector within development cooperation and local government responsible for delivering those essential services to communities.
What is WASH's main role or purpose?
WASH drives public health gains, upholds the human right to water and sanitation, eases the burden of water collection on women, and improves education and health outcomes in schools and healthcare facilities.
Who works alongside WASH in the field?
The sector is supported by major organizations including the WHO, UNICEF, various non-governmental organizations, and international aid agencies that all contribute to delivering WASH services on the ground.
How does WASH connect to the Sustainable Development Goals?
WASH sits at the center of SDG 6, specifically driving the first two targets (6.1 and 6.2), which call for universal access to clean water and adequate, safe sanitation.
What is the central challenge WASH faces?
The key issue is ensuring that access to water, sanitation, and hygiene services is universal, affordable, and sustainable for all communities worldwide.
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