WASH and climate change adaptation in the Pacific

This project integrated climate change impacts and current practices to develop a framework to enable communities and water managers to navigate from understanding impacts to evaluating adaptation options for water supply and sanitation.

Background

The Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (PACCWASH) project was a 3-year collaborative research project funded by the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), and managed by the International WaterCentre (IWC). Research partners were the Water Institute at the University of North Carolina (UNC), Griffith University, Monash University, University of Alabama (UA), and the University of the South Pacific (USP).

This project applied a systems approach to understanding WASH and climate change risks in rural communities in Pacific Island Countries (PICs), with two case studies representing extreme ends of the regional climate spectrum: flood-prone catchments in the Solomon Islands, and drought-prone atolls in the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

The research team worked with communities, governments and civil society groups to enhance understanding of existing WASH systems and adaptation approaches, and to develop tools to support adaptation decision-making for sustainable management of water resources and drinking water supplies in remote and rural communities.

Partners

  • Griffith University
  • Monash University
  • Water Institute at the University of North Carolina
  • University of Alabama
  • University of the South Pacific

Resources

Access the PACCWASH Resource here

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