Climate Resilience Pathways: Water Security & WASH in Asia Pacific Conference

Climate Resilience Pathways: Water Security and WASH in Asia Pacific took place at the end of April in Bangkok, Thailand and Suva, Fiji. Funded by the Water for Women Fund and DFAT, the conference was centered around the theme: Resilient & inclusive water security & WASH as pathways for broader climate resilience, and, transformative and sustainable development.

The IWC team was proud to convene a total of seven sessions across Suva and Bangkok, discussing a wide-range of critical WASH themes, with each session highlighting unique insights and practical learnings.

Here are some key takeaways from each session:

Rosie Sanderson led “Harnessing diverse data on water resources and hazards for decision making”, which highlighted the importance of data-based evidence in decision-making and showcased not only the latest developments of emerging datasets, but also their application in water and WASH planning. A key takeaway for me was how clear it has become that water resources and WASH practitioners and policymakers no longer just think of diverse data such as spatial data as valuable in their work, they see it as vital. And there is so much going on in the Pacific to support that recognition.

Rosie also led “Sanitation in challenging urban environments – emerging practice and learning in the Pacific’s changing climate” that brought together diverse expertise and provided a deeper understanding of the approaches and factors influencing successful interventions to climate-resilient sanitation, such as policy support, community engagement and technological adaptability. A highlight was when a colleague from the Water Authority of Fiji commended the session on presenting both a realistic picture of the need as well as responses that are grounded in community preferences and strengthening the enabling environment, as well as technologically appropriate. He encouraged participants and practitioners to work in partnership with utilities and agencies like WAF to progress the important mix of sanitation systems required to service all citizens in cities across the Pacific, a point that was made by all presenters in the session.

Dr Mark Love facilitated the workshop “Decentralisation and rural water service delivery in the Pacific Island countries: exploring challenges, opportunities and pathways forward” where participants explored evidence-based strategies and worked collaboratively on developing actionable recommendations to enhance government and service delivery. A key takeaway from the workshop was the widespread recognition of shared challenges across Pacific nations, particularly siloed departments and poor data sharing, while Vanuatu’s decade of reforms stood out as a model that impressed many attendees.

Dr Regina Souter facilitated the session “WASH as a pillar of resilience of Pacific people” that progressed discussions on the links between access and use of safe WASH to the resilience of people, and how we can better communicate why WASH is essential for broader resilience. A key learning:

Dr Piet Filet guided the session “Capacity development to safeguard water assets and communities from floods” where we heard from partners from Fiji and Australia to showcase a knowledge exchange on flood mitigation as a capacity building program and identified the skills needed to respond to the impacts arising from climate change on local water management. In this workshop it was seen that crafting the focus of the topics to be addressed requires a case-by-case review of local challenges, community needs and organizational capacity.  Next the way that the capacity development activities are offered can best start with a diverse mix of options being considered. Then, based on the organizational timing needs, “personality” of the participants and available resources a method or series of activities can be selected that engages the group and allows them to connect knowledge with practice.

IWC Adjunct A/Prof Bronwyn Powell led the workshop “Inclusive leadership for climate resilient water management” in the Bangkok hub. The session built on participants’ understanding of how inclusive leadership practices contribute to addressing holistic and systems-wide changes needed for climate resilient water security and WASH. The session drew on theory as well as case studies from SNV Bhutan and Alluvium’s work in Laos and Fiji. Participants noted the importance of active listening and reflection for inclusive leadership for transformative change.

Suliasi Batikawai and Dr Sarah Pene (USP) co-led the session “Scaling Up Water Safety Planning (WSP) Practices for Climate-Resilient Water Security in the Pacific” that shared WSP practices across the Pacific, identified strengths, challenges and scaling needs, and explored actionable steps to enhance WSP implementation and establish a Pacific WSP Community of Practice. A highlight from the session was the quality and depth of the presentations, as each speaker shared practical insights, successes, and lessons learned that could be replicated in other Pacific Island Countries. This sparked an engaging Q&A session coupled with a healthy discussion, which was especially valuable for countries and stakeholders who are just beginning to consider WSP, or those looking to strengthen their current efforts by learning from peers. It was a solid learning and exchange moment for everyone in the room.