The Climate Resilient Resources We Wish We Had Five Years Ago

Water, sanitation, and hygiene, or WASH, is no longer just another sector affected by climate change; it is increasingly recognised as the cornerstone and enabler of broader climate resilience. Recent international efforts have emphasised the need for resilient water and sanitation services to ensure water security and support global adaptation goals.

Despite this recognition, for many years there has been a gap in available resources on how to fund climate-resilient WASH and even fewer examples of what strong, on-the-ground work looks like. To help address this gap, and provide organizations with examples of effective climate-resilient practices the Shockwave Foundation and Osprey Foundation worked with Aguaconsult to develop two new guidance briefs - one for implementers and one for funders, that strengthen climate resilience in WASH systems. These are precisely the kinds of resources that have been missing in past years.

At World Water Week 2025, Aguaconsult launched the first of these: Strengthening the Climate-Resilient Water and Sanitation Systems: A Practical Guide for NGOs to Drive Impact, Collaboration, and Scalability

This resource is designed for NGO leaders and offers a flexible framework to help organizations assess, plan, and embed climate resilience into both operations and programming.

The companion brief for funders is coming later this year. Both resources draw from dozens of interviews with NGOs, funders, and academics, as well as a review of existing tools and guidance. The goal of this work is simple: support implementers in advancing long-term, climate-resilient WASH programming and provide funders with deeper insights on how to resource this work effectively.

Download the Implementer Guide here

For more information on these studies contact Elise Jabagi.