Building on recent global discussions at the Kigali Workshop on Climate Resilience and Urban Sanitation and the Global South Academic Conclave, a new IWA paper, Climate resilient urban sanitation: from ideas to action, co-authored by CBSA and others, highlights current strategies, potential maladaptations, and priorities for action on climate-resilient sanitation.

Developed collaboratively, the paper emphasises the need to shift from ideas to action. Six key messages provide a roadmap for tackling this pressing challenge:

1. Ensure inclusivity to protect health

Inclusive approaches address the heightened risks faced by marginalised groups, ensuring that everyone benefits from resilient sanitation systems. Participatory processes and community engagement are vital for sustainable and equitable outcomes.

2. Make adaptation a key policy priority

Integrating climate considerations into policies and institutions, a key area of work for the Climate Resilient Sanitation Coalition, prevents maladaptation, fosters leadership, and secures investments, laying the groundwork for systemic resilience.

3. Leverage co-benefits to strengthen support

Innovative sanitation solutions can generate multiple benefits, from organic fertiliser production to better stormwater management, creating synergies that amplify the impact of climate adaptation efforts.

4. Test and scale new financing models

Emerging options such as green bonds, carbon credits and other climate financing show promise, but require rigorous testing to ensure their viability. Public finance remains a critical backbone to support sanitation as a public good.

5. Use research to drive investment

Actionable insights and cost analyses are essential to guide investments and showcase scalable, effective models that integrate resilience at every stage of the sanitation chain.

6. Integrate the sanitation chain and water cycle

A systems approach ensures that each component of sanitation, from containment to reuse, is resilient and aligned with the interconnected urban water cycle, preventing cascading failures and maximising efficiency.

The paper underscores the urgent need for collaboration, innovation, and investment to safeguard sanitation systems against the impacts of climate change. By embedding resilience into policies, practices, and financing, sanitation can be trasnformed from a challenge into an opportunity for sustainable development and climate action.

Cover of IWA discussion paper. Climate resilient urban sanitation: from ideas to action