Inclusive Pathways to Climate-Resilient WASH
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The Challenge:
Billions lack access to basic water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services, a crisis worsened by climate change. People with disabilities face even greater barriers due to inaccessible facilities, leading to poor health. Climate change intensifies these inequalities, disrupting water, damaging infrastructure, and complicating hygiene practices. Most climate plans ignore the needs of people with disabilities, creating a critical gap. We urgently need guidance for disability inclusive, climate-resilient WASH systems.
Our Study: Building Inclusive Solutions
The Inclusive Pathways Towards Climate-Resilient WASH study, a collaborative effort between the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, icddr,b, and World Vision, investigates how climate hazards impact WASH access for people with disabilities in Bangladesh. Through mixed methods research, a comprehensive literature review, and participatory workshops, we've co-developed practical principles to guide truly inclusive and climate-resilient WASH initiatives.
Building the Evidence:
Our research paints a stark picture. A scoping review revealed the vulnerability of WASH services to climate disruptions in low- and middle-income countries, highlighting a severe lack of research on the specific impacts on people with disabilities.
Field research in Bangladesh further demonstrated the disproportionate burden faced by this community. Extreme weather events damaged many water points and latrines, leaving many without alternatives and forcing them into harmful coping strategies. Incontinence, mobility limitations, and limited access to clean water compounded their vulnerability, increasing health risks. Inaccessible disaster relief, shelters, and a lack of preparedness further exacerbated these issues. These findings underscore the urgent need for comprehensive and disability-inclusive WASH services to prioritise climate resilience.
The principles: A Pathway for Change
Through participatory workshops in Gaibandha and Satkhira, we collaborated with people with disabilities, caregivers, Organizations of Persons with Disabilities, and World Vision staff to validate our findings and co-create recommendations for disability inclusive WASH services. These workshops and existing best practices led to developing six actionable principles for Climate-Resilient Disability-Inclusive WASH in collaboration with sector experts.
These principles provide practical guidance for professionals working at the intersection of WASH, disability, and climate resilience. Grounded in human rights principles – participation, affordability, and protection from harm – they emphasise the meaningful inclusion of people with disabilities and their caregivers.
The principles provide flexible guidance for enhancing disability inclusion in existing climate-resilient WASH efforts.
By prioritising safety, dignity, and equity, these principles aim to create WASH systems that leave no one behind, even in the face of climate change.
Take Action:
Download our report (LSHTM Research Online) for an explanation of the principles and how to implement them.
