Project Description
Building on our earlier work and ongoing partnerships, using both formative and action research combined with regional knowledge sharing opportunities (two peer-to-peer learning exchange events), this research seeks to better understand ways that government and civil society organisations (CSOs) engaged in the WASH sector can leverage formal, as well as emergent and informal networks, to further support and strengthen WCs, as well as link WRM with community WCs to result in more effective, sustainable and inclusive climate-resilient WASH.
The overarching research question is: In the context of increasingly decentralizing rural water management in Pacific Island countries, how can formal, informal & emergent networks – both WASH and non-WASH related – better support mobilising and strengthening water committees (WC) to be both WASH and water resource managers who engage with both community and beyond-community factors affecting climate resilience? There are two groups of guiding sub-questions/research objectives used to address this research question, with RQ1 focused at the village/community level and RQ2 focused at the community and beyond-community level.
RQ1. How can formal, informal and emergent networks (WASH and non-WASH related) be used to improve both the prioritisation of CWM and WC-capabilities for climate-resilient water management:
a) What monitoring, reporting and capacity-building activities can decentralized government structures feasibly use to mobilise, and hold WCs to-account, to deliver climate-resilient WASH?
b) How can informal and emergent social networks, such as church-based, town-village-based, and other non-WASH networks (such as agriculture, market associations, tourism, sporting programs, education institutions) be used to further promote and support CWM?
RQ2. How can WCs be assisted by formal/informal/emergent networks to engage in water resources issues both within their community and with others in their catchments?
Project Personnel and Beneficiaries
SDG6: Enhancing WASH services in urban informal settlements and promoting good hygiene practices.
SDG11: Focusing on climate-resilient WASH services and urban planning, the project works towards creating more inclusive, safe, and sustainable urban settlements.
SDG13: Emphasis on localized climate science and resilience-building aligns with efforts to combat climate change and its impacts on vulnerable communities.
SDG17: Collaborative approach, engaging settlement residents, leaders, and organizations, contributes to fostering partnerships necessary for achieving sustainable development.
SDG1 & SDG10: Improved WASH services and inclusive planning can contribute to poverty inequalities within informal settlements.
SDG3: Improved health and well-being outcomes for residents.
SDG5: Focus on inclusion and advocacy can contribute to addressing gender disparities, particularly in accessing WASH services.
SDG16: Contributing to more stable and empowered local institutions.
Outcomes to Date
Early field work is currently being completed.
Project Significance
“The regional research project focuses on enhancing climate-resilient WASH services in urban informal settlements in PNG, Fiji and Vanuatu through trough the development of decision and planning support systems, citizen science for localized climate insights, advocacy methods, and engagement with settlement residents in collaborative planning.
The goal is to understand WASH climate-resilience in Melanesian informal settlements, encompassing individual, collective, and systemic resilience. The project aims to identify effective ways stakeholders can enhance resilience through urban planning, WASH service improvement, and fostering partnerships.
To address this, the research targets three objectives (O), nested into two components (C):
1. Integrating Climate Science and Local Knowledge (O1, C1): The project aims to combine climate science and local knowledge, bridging data gaps for future climate hazards. This involves linking citizen science climate data with historical records and spatial modelling to understand climate’s impact on WASH services.
2. Urban Planning for Resilient WASH (O2, C1): The study explores incorporating planning support systems (PSS) into urban and WASH planning. PSS are frameworks aiding decision-making, including spatial platforms, data collection methods, visualizations, and decision support tools.
3. Influencing Societal and Political Attitudes (O3, C2): The project examines strategies to improve attitudes toward upgrading WASH services. It considers how leaders and organizations can champion better WASH services in informal settlements.”