Discussion Paper: Climate, Sanitation and Health
Categories: Climate Resilient Health Systems, Climate Change & Health Vulnerability & Adaptation Assessments, Guidance document, Global
Publisher: World Health Organization
This paper aims to provide an overview of the impact of climate variability and change on sanitation, as well as the resulting implications for health. It outlines potential adaptation options to strengthen climate resilience in sanitation governance, policies, systems, and services. The paper highlights the need for further research and policy and programming imperatives, with a global focus while recognizing that specific challenges may differ across countries with varying levels of onsite and sewerage sanitation systems.
This paper includes consideration of sanitation at national and local levels. The scope includes all aspects of excreta management, including wastewater. The paper provides input on national vulnerability assessments as well as local level risk assessment and management approaches, building on Sanitation Safety Planning (SSP) (WHO, 2016). The focus of the paper is dominantly on climate adaptation rather than mitigation.
Intended users
Ministry of Health; researchers; anyone planning and implementing activities to advance climate resilient health systems, particularly related to sanitation safety planning.