Approximately 70 per cent of the population of Pacific Island countries lack access to basic sanitation. Sanitation access in Pacific Island schools and healthcare facilities is among the lowest in the world. This has been revealed in the new WaterAid Australia report, “Healthy Environments, Resilient Communities: The vital role of sanitation for improving climate resilience in the Pacific.”
It is well known that islands are among the most vulnerable to climate change. The combination of climate impacts such as rising sea levels and increasingly intense extreme weather events has been described as the ‘single greatest threat to the livelihoods, security and wellbeing of the peoples of the Pacific.’
The links between climate change and water are increasingly recognised. However, the links between climate change and sanitation have not received the same attention. Climate change can significantly impact sanitation services through flooding, droughts, and rising sea levels. Together, they pose risks to human and environmental health and economic prosperity.
Pacific Island Countries are among the world’s most vulnerable to climate change and are often at the forefront of calls to prioritise climate action. They collectively declared a climate emergency in July 2022 and called on all development partners to prioritise climate action. Climate change projections vary from country to country. Almost all Pacific Island countries are projected to receive more rainfall and fewer droughts. Rainfall is predicted to be more intense and more frequent.
SDG achievements form part of the WaterAid Australia report
The Pacific is also one of the most off-track regions to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG6) targets for basic sanitation. It is the worst-performing region globally for sanitation access in schools. 40 per cent of schools across the region have no sanitation service at all. Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands have the lowest access rates, with 64 per cent and 42 per cent of schools without sanitation services. The Cook Islands is the only Pacific country with basic sanitation in the majority of its healthcare facilities.
WaterAid Australia Chief Executive Tom Muller said, “This needs to change. Universal access to safe sanitation is a foundational public service. It is at the heart of sustainable development. Sanitation is a critical entry point in achieving outcomes across all of the Sustainable Development Goals. It covers everything from poverty reduction to improving education and nutrition and reducing maternal and child mortality.”
Co-author of the report and WaterAid Australia’s Regional Systems Strengthening Technical Lead Fraser Goff said, “Pacific Island Governments, service providers, international funders and development partners have an opportunity to collectively accelerate action on sanitation access across the Pacific. Together, they can realise the 2050 Strategy’s vision of a resilient, healthy, equitable and prosperous Pacific.”
Co-author of the report and WaterAid Australia’s Climate Change Advisor Tanvi Oza said, “Achieving climate-resilient communities requires a step change in access to safe sanitation services. Focusing solely on water will not solve the significant challenges that climate change presents to communities in the Pacific. Those communities are already falling behind in their SDG commitments. Greater priority needs to be given to advancing sanitation access throughout the Pacific. All sanitation systems need to become climate-resilient.”
What does the WaterAid Australia report mean?
WaterAid’s new report aims to consolidate data on climate change and sanitation status in the Pacific and demonstrate how climate-resilient sanitation is a critical entry point for achieving the SDGs in the region. It presents evidence to build a case for a concerted, collaborative effort to accelerate climate-resilient sanitation services in the Pacific. It also seeks to provide recommendations to make this a reality.
On November 23, WaterAid Australia launched the new evidence and accompanying policy briefs to highlight the step change in sanitation, which is urgently needed for a climate-resilient, healthy, equitable and prosperous Pacific.
For more information, view the report here.
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