The Evolving Landscape of Migration and Sanitation
The world is witnessing unprecedented levels of human mobility, with over one billion people on the move globally in 2018 alone. This global phenomenon presents both challenges and opportunities when it comes to water and sanitation services. Populations displaced by conflict, natural disasters, and climate change often lack access to safe, reliable, and culturally appropriate water and sanitation facilities. Ensuring equitable access to these essential services for mobile communities is crucial for protecting public health, upholding human rights, and fostering social inclusion.
At the Joint Action for Water blog, we are committed to exploring the fluid frontiers where culture, water, and forced displacement intersect. In this in-depth article, we draw on diverse perspectives and the latest research to navigate this complex landscape, offering practical strategies for community-based organizations, policymakers, and WASH practitioners.
Unpacking the Realities of Forced Displacement
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), there were 84.5 million forcibly displaced people worldwide at the end of 2020, the highest number on record. This includes over 26 million refugees, 4.1 million asylum-seekers, and 48 million internally displaced persons. The majority of displaced populations originate from and reside in low- and middle-income countries, with regions like Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia particularly affected.
The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated the vulnerabilities of displaced communities, disrupting access to essential services and heightening health risks. Overcrowded refugee camps and informal settlements often lack adequate water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure, leaving residents susceptible to waterborne diseases, malnutrition, and other public health threats.
“Ensuring equitable access to water and sanitation services for mobile communities is crucial for protecting public health, upholding human rights, and fostering social inclusion.”
At the same time, the mobility of displaced populations can also introduce new challenges for host communities, straining existing WASH resources and systems. Navigating these complex dynamics requires a multifaceted, collaborative approach that centers the experiences and needs of displaced people.
Centering Culture in Water and Sanitation Interventions
Culture plays a vital role in shaping perceptions, beliefs, and practices around water and sanitation. For displaced populations, cultural norms and traditions can significantly influence their interactions with WASH services, often in ways that are vastly different from the dominant culture of the host community.
For example, a study in Kenya found that Somali refugee women faced significant cultural barriers to accessing shared sanitation facilities, preferring more private, gender-segregated options. Similarly, research in Jordan revealed that Syrian refugee women were reluctant to use communal latrines due to concerns about modesty and safety.
“Culture plays a vital role in shaping perceptions, beliefs, and practices around water and sanitation.”
Recognizing and respecting these cultural nuances is essential for designing inclusive, effective WASH interventions. Community-based organizations and WASH practitioners must adopt a culturally-responsive approach, engaging directly with displaced communities to understand their unique needs, preferences, and cultural taboos.
This might involve incorporating traditional water storage methods, providing gender-separated facilities, or adapting hygiene promotion messages to align with local cultural norms. By tailoring WASH services to the cultural context, organizations can foster greater acceptance, utilization, and long-term sustainability of these critical services.
Advancing Participatory Approaches in Water and Sanitation
Historically, many WASH programs in displacement settings have been top-down, with limited input from the affected communities. This approach often fails to address the unique needs and preferences of diverse groups within the displaced population, such as women, children, the elderly, and people with disabilities.
In contrast, participatory methodologies empower displaced communities to actively shape the design, implementation, and evaluation of WASH interventions. This can involve engaging community members in decision-making processes, conducting co-creation workshops, and incorporating feedback loops to ensure the services align with their evolving priorities.
The ASPIRE project, for example, used a participatory approach to develop community-led sports and play initiatives for refugee youth in Europe. By centering the perspectives and experiences of young refugees, the project was able to create more relevant, responsive, and impactful programming.
“Participatory methodologies empower displaced communities to actively shape the design, implementation, and evaluation of WASH interventions.”
Similarly, in Uganda, the Refugee WASH Forum brings together displaced communities, local authorities, and WASH service providers to collaboratively identify challenges and co-create solutions. This inclusive, participatory approach has helped to strengthen accountability, build trust, and ensure that WASH services better meet the needs of refugee populations.
By embracing participatory practices, organizations can foster a greater sense of ownership and agency among displaced communities, ultimately enhancing the effectiveness and sustainability of WASH interventions.
Advocating for the Human Right to Water and Sanitation
Access to safe, affordable, and reliable water and sanitation services is a fundamental human right, as recognized by the United Nations General Assembly in 2010. This right applies equally to all people, regardless of their migration status or displacement context.
Unfortunately, many displaced populations continue to face significant barriers to realizing this right. Restrictive policies, limited funding, and institutional discrimination often prevent refugees, asylum-seekers, and internally displaced persons from accessing essential WASH services.
“Access to safe, affordable, and reliable water and sanitation services is a fundamental human right, as recognized by the United Nations General Assembly in 2010.”
Advocacy efforts at the local, national, and global levels are crucial for ensuring that the human right to water and sanitation is upheld for all, including mobile and displaced communities. This may involve collaborating with civil society organizations, engaging policymakers, and leveraging international human rights frameworks to hold governments accountable.
For example, the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council has advocated for the inclusion of displaced populations in national WASH policies and programming, emphasizing the need for culturally-appropriate, inclusive, and rights-based approaches. Similarly, the Global Water Partnership has championed community-driven initiatives that empower displaced communities to advocate for their own WASH rights and needs.
By amplifying the voices of displaced communities and centering their experiences, advocacy efforts can catalyze meaningful change and help realize the human right to water and sanitation for all.
Fostering Integrated Solutions Through Cross-Sectoral Collaboration
Ensuring sustainable, equitable access to water and sanitation services for displaced populations requires an integrated, cross-sectoral approach. WASH interventions must be closely coordinated with other essential services, such as healthcare, education, and social protection, to holistically address the multifaceted needs of displaced communities.
For instance, the provision of WASH services in displacement settings can be enhanced through collaboration with the health sector. By integrating hygiene promotion activities with primary healthcare services, organizations can more effectively prevent the spread of waterborne diseases and improve overall community health outcomes.
“WASH interventions must be closely coordinated with other essential services, such as healthcare, education, and social protection, to holistically address the multifaceted needs of displaced communities.”
Similarly, integrating WASH education into school curricula can empower displaced children and youth with the knowledge and skills to maintain good hygiene practices, while also strengthening their sense of agency and inclusion within the host community.
At the policy level, cross-sectoral coordination is critical for aligning national strategies, budgets, and implementation plans to better serve the needs of displaced populations. This can involve establishing joint taskforces, sharing data and information, and fostering collaborative decision-making processes between various government ministries and agencies.
By adopting an integrated, cross-sectoral approach, organizations can leverage synergies, optimize resource allocation, and ensure that WASH services are seamlessly woven into the broader ecosystem of support for displaced communities.
Building Resilience Through Sustainable WASH Solutions
As the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation intensify, the need for sustainable, climate-resilient WASH solutions in displacement settings has become increasingly pressing. Displaced populations are often disproportionately affected by the consequences of a warming planet, including water scarcity, flooding, and natural disasters.
Innovative, nature-based WASH interventions can play a vital role in strengthening the resilience of displaced communities. This might involve the use of constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment, the implementation of water harvesting and storage systems, or the adoption of sustainable sanitation technologies, such as composting toilets.
“Innovative, nature-based WASH interventions can play a vital role in strengthening the resilience of displaced communities.”
Moreover, by integrating environmental education and awareness-raising into WASH programming, organizations can empower displaced communities to become active stewards of natural resources, fostering a deeper sense of environmental responsibility and sustainable habits.
The UNICEF-supported WASH program in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, for example, has implemented solar-powered water supply systems and constructed drainage networks to mitigate the impacts of seasonal flooding in the Rohingya refugee camps. This comprehensive, climate-smart approach has helped to ensure the continuity of essential WASH services, even in the face of extreme weather events.
By investing in sustainable, climate-resilient WASH solutions, organizations can not only address the immediate needs of displaced populations but also lay the foundation for long-term, equitable access to these critical services.
Conclusion: Navigating the Fluid Frontiers of Water, Culture, and Forced Displacement
The intersection of water, culture, and forced displacement presents a complex, ever-evolving landscape that requires a multifaceted, collaborative approach. By centering the experiences and needs of displaced communities, embracing participatory methodologies, advocating for the human right to water and sanitation, and fostering integrated, sustainable solutions, organizations can work towards ensuring equitable access to essential WASH services for all.
As the global community grapples with the challenges of unprecedented human mobility, the Joint Action for Water blog remains committed to amplifying the voices of displaced populations, sharing best practices, and driving innovative, community-based approaches to water and sanitation. Together, we can navigate these fluid frontiers, upholding the dignity and rights of mobile communities while building a more inclusive, resilient, and water-secure future for all.
