Climate Change Impacts on Health and Best Practices in the Humanitarian WASH Cluster: Some Comparisons

Abstract

The Cluster WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is one of the cornerstones of humanitarian action, and a key element for the promotion of health worldwide. The recent years demonstrated the pressure on this humanitarian cluster, as a result of climate change. At the same time, it is also clear that WASH actions have a potential to foster health promotion, preparedness, and resilience among communities affected by humanitarian crisis related to climate hazards. This aspect is visible in both the existing literature of the major international organisations and NGOs networks acting in this field. It is also visible in the best practices promoted in two countries looked at in the paper: Bangladesh and the United States. This comparative analysis allows us to extract conclusions that may be replicable in other national or local contexts. It contributes to a better comprehension of the links between the humanitarian indicators and actions, and the imperative of a work with communities in order to improve even more the preparedness of the health impact of climate change.

Keywords

• climate change
• health
• wash
• preparedness
• bangladesh
• united states of america