Abstract

Title of the session: Climate Change in WASH Humanitarian Coordination

In person and virtual. 50 attendees in person.

09.May.2023 – 11:00 am – 12:30 pm

The side event, led by the Global WASH Cluster (GWC) in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and German Toilet Organization (GTO), as the lead and co-lead of the GWC Climate Working Group, will examine strategies for integrating climate change adaptation and mitigation into humanitarian WASH efforts through enhanced coordination. The session aims to offer actionable insights for enhanced coordination and collaboration across the broader WASH sector amid climate-related challenges.

The session is designed as a panel discussion, featuring diverse perspectives from WASH implementing agencies, the global WASH cluster, and additional stakeholders, including academia. It will primarily delve into the role of coordination in realizing the integration of climate change adaptation and mitigation. The focus will extend to examining the contribution of the Climate Working Group (CC WG) in facilitating this integration.

The CC WG, established in response to a consultative process involving Global WASH Cluster members and National Coordination Platforms (NCPs), aims to leverage collective expertise for knowledge exchange and capacity-building. The panel will explore the objectives of the CC WG, emphasizing coordination, capacity strengthening, knowledge management, and advocacy and resource mobilization. Critically analyzing these goals, the discussion will assess the opportunities and challenges that the CC WG members would have to navigate to integrate climate change considerations into humanitarian WASH.

The panelists will be prompted to share insights on identifying entry points and leverage actions to enhance the coordination between humanitarian WASH and climate change entities, emphasizing key needs. The conversation will focus on initiatives to bolster capacity, rectify learning gaps, and cultivate a comprehensive knowledge management system for climate change actions in humanitarian WASH. Additionally, the session will delve into insights on advocacy and resource mobilization efforts, striving to identify funding opportunities, amplify climate-adapted infrastructure funding, and adeptly convey key messages to donors.

The valuable insights shared by the panelists will play a pivotal role in shaping the future actions and strategies of CC WG. The shared knowledge will inform targeted initiatives, policies, and coordinated approaches, reinforcing the CC WG mission to enhance coordination towards a humanitarian WASH sector more resilient amid climate challenges.