WaterAid demands increased investment in water, sanitation

Citing the increasing impact of climate change in the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector, WaterAid Nigeria has called for increased investment and stronger policy frameworks to address the growing challenges of climate change.

The Country Director of WaterAid Nigeria, Evelyn Mere, made the call during the second annual climate conference held in Abuja, with the theme “Strengthening Policies and Investment for Climate-Resilient Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Services.”

Mere, represented by the Head of Policy, Advocacy and Communications, Mr Kolawole Banwo, stated that climate change is no longer a distant threat but a lived reality of many communities, leading to flooding, drought, and saline intrusion.

Banwo said the impacts have negatively affected access to water, sanitation, hygiene services, and public health.

She mentioned that climate resilience in WASH is not just about building stronger infrastructure, but ensuring that services anticipate, respond to, cope with, recover from, and adapt to climate-related events, while ensuring universal and equitable access for all, including the most vulnerable.

She mentioned that the aim of the conference was to achieve a sector-wide shared understanding of climate resilience WASH systems across the service chain, and develop a concrete framework for inter-agency and multi-sectoral collaboration to effectively institutionalise WASH into climate change adaptation and mitigation plans, strategies, and programmes.