By: Mohamed Sahr & Hafsatu Bangura
Environment and WASH have been complex and slightly ambiguous issues the world is battling for more than decades and these can only be successful if the key players make the considerable regrouping situation for a better living, especially with poverty-based countries, minorities and indigenous people. Access to a clean environment, water, sanitation and hygiene is a stark holder of good health. The mainstreaming environment into Water Sanitation and Hygiene provides the foundations for sustainable development. Fertile soils, clean water, biomass and biodiversity produce a range of goods and services that yield income, offer safety nets for the poor, maintain public health, and power economic growth. Meanwhile, in order to bring these on a silver platter other than engaging in futile actions, a concentric circle approach has to be administered.
Foremost, identifying community groups in dire need of this mix is one of the main focuses in this regard. Community participation in water and sanitation interventions impacts the availability of safe water and sanitation, a change in health status or behaviour and the longevity of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) as well as resources and services. This means policymakers, programme implementers and institutions should consider community dynamics, location, resources, committee activity and practices and nature of community participation, before introducing community water and sanitation interventions. A recent study done by Global Health in 2023 examined that I’ve mechanisms that explained the availability, change and longevity outcomes: (1) accountability (policies and procedures to hold communities responsible for their actions and outcomes of an intervention), (2) diffusion (spread of an idea or behaviour by innovators over time through communication among members of a community), (3) market (the interplay between demand and supply of a WASH service or resource), (4) ownership (a sense of possession and control of the WASH service or resource) and (5) shame (a feeling of disgust in one’s behaviour or actions). Contextual elements identified included community leadership and communication, technical skills and knowledge, resource access and dependency, committee activity such as the rules and management plans, location and the level of community participation.
Empowering marginalized communities living in poverty. Addressing key environmental concerns during humanitarian assistance is critical to prevent additional hazards, reduce risks, and not further increase the vulnerability of disaster-affected populations. However, the environment remains an underappreciated cross-cutting issue within the humanitarian sector and efforts to systematically integrate environmental concerns into humanitarian assistance as well as to reduce its environmental impacts are quite limited. Therefore, research analysed by Lund 2017 focuses on the humanitarian assistance of many United Nations Agencies and other Non-Governmental Organizations for instance the Minority Rights Group International in order to effectively provide affordable and clean water facilities to marginalized communities across the world. Working with deprived communities and vulnerable people ensures proper alignment of priorities and improvement through dialogue with other donor partners and government on the relevance of the environment in water and sanitation intervention.
Insofar, as making collaborative work with institutional and private sectors in the environment, water, sanitation and hygiene is apparently another green light in ameliorating this cause. WASH services require strong national policies, financial systems, and monitoring in order to be sustainable, resilient and accountable. But in many countries, institutional structures remain fragile. Countries that cannot sufficiently fund WASH services for those in need must strive for better coordination between governments and development partners at all stages of implementation. Adequate human resources and clear roles of government institutions and regulators are also critical. In many cases, WASH services are planned without timely or accurate data. Budgets are set based on historical patterns rather than the needs of the population. UNICEF 2023 observed.
Government budgets for financing WASH, especially WASH infrastructure, and for expanding services to those in need remain low in many parts of the world. Private sector investment is also insufficient, given the lack of legal frameworks, associated risks, and low returns in the water and sanitation business. As a result, one of the greatest barriers to achieving WASH-related targets is the large spending gap. Without strong governance, neither government stakeholders nor donors and development partners can be held accountable. What’s more, few WASH programmes are reviewed for their impact using high-quality evaluations. UNICEF being a key figure in WASH and Environment sector has recently hosted Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) which is a global partnership of governments, donors, civil society organizations and other development stakeholders that coordinates on improved accountability and resource allocation.
Additionally, working with national planning efforts is more or less the outstanding curve in terms of mainstreaming the environment into water, sanitation and hygiene. Assist
in the development of strategic water, sanitation and environmental policies based on international best practices, targeting marginalized areas and supporting local efforts to improve provision. Be aware that responsibility for water and sanitation is generally shared among several ministries and that special attention is needed to facilitate coherent and cooperative approaches to water management
and sanitation. Ensure that the relevant ministry for the environment is included in planning discussions. Support approaches that recognise equity, access and affordability. Recognize the importance of investment in information systems to map coverage of services and to monitor the quality and quantity of water resources including groundwater mapping river or lake levels.
Notwithstanding, teaming up with crosscutting otherwise rural and urban authorities is also another pointer to show. support slum upgrading, best practices in relation to crosscutting issues (e.g gender equality and environment sustainability)
and measures that can improve relations between local authorities and the residents of ’illegal’ settlements, e.g. recognition of settlements and formal land rights to allow service providers to formalize provision. Promote water conservation, appropriate water and wastewater treatment and out owes as well as leakage management in piped water systems. Promote the application of systematic Environmental Impact Assessments prior to detailed planning of services.
Finally, engagement in water sector reforms, the establishment of emergency contingency planning and disaster risk reduction strategy. Irish Aid 2023 maintained that in the bid of offering support to locally driven reforms, particularly those likely to extend services to deprived urban and rural settlements, can possibly be a step in the right direction thereby promoting equity, affordability and protecting water-related resources for future generations. On the other hand, support initiatives to monitor flooding, drought, early warning systems, meteorological reports and community-based risk mapping, all of which can assist with improved water resource management and help in the mainstreaming of the environment into WASH at every spectrum of both ends.