Published on 13 January 2025
WASH
Globally, still more than 2 billion people lack safely managed drinking water, and around 3.5 billion lack safe sanitation infrastructure. Since in many countries water scarcity is more an issue of power, poverty and inequality rather than of physical availability, SDC does not only advocate for sustainable WASH services based on the human rights to water and sanitation, it also promotes policy dialogue, a fair water governance, and innovative partnerships to ensure vulnerable people - in particular women and girls – are not left behind.
Key Documents
Leave no one behind in practice of WASH
A thematic working aid to help applying the SDC Guidance "Leave No One Behind" (LNOB) to water, sanitation and hygiene-related interventions in the spirit of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
PDF723.18 kB1 January 2019
Ne laisser personne de côté dans la pratique en eau, assainissement et hygiène
Le présent guide a pour objet d’aider à appliquer le document d’orientation de la DDC visant à ne laisser personne de côté aux interventions liées à l’eau, à l’assainissement et à l’hygiène dans l’esprit de l’Agenda 2030 pour le développement durable.
PDF2.05 MB1 January 2019
Past Events
This e-workshop was co-organized by RésEAU, the Climate, DRR and Environment Network and the SDC Office in Lima. Pollutants such as heavy metals represent a serious threat to human health and their removal is a global challenge for ensuring safe drinking water. The SDC supported the validation of a new, cost-effective and scalable technology for the removal of heavy metals from drinking water. The technology was developed by BluAct Technologies (an ETH Zurich spin-off) and consists of cellulose membrane filters, activated carbon and lactose protein fibers, and its use requires no energy. To validate this technology, SDC entrusted the Peruvian NGO SABAVida to conduct a study in four departments of Peru where the population consumes water with arsenic and lead at levels exceeding the maximum permissible limits (0.01 mg/l). This pilot project for the elimination of heavy metals from drinking water brought valuable insights on how the filter technology performs in a real-world context across household and collective water supply systems. In this online learning event, the water experts presented the technology and key lessons learned during its use in Peruvian communities and from its replication in other regions (India).
Heavy metals in drinking water - proposal for their removal
Presentation slides in English
PDF8.18 MB11 June 2024
Metales pesodos en agua para consumo humano - proposición para su remoción
presentación en Español
PDF8.72 MB13 June 2024
Remoción de metales pesados en agua potable- informe de webinar
summary of the joint RésEAU and CDE webinar on removal of heavy metals from drinking water - Spanish version
PDF284.45 kB12 July 2024
Removal of heavy metals from drinking water - webinar summary
Summary of the joint CDE and RésEAU webinar on removal of heavy metals from drinking water - english version
PDF364.15 kB12 July 2024
This webinar was held on the 4th of October 2021 as part of the RésEAU webinar series. It highlighted the third Trend Sheet of the Trend Observatory, an initiative led by SDC’s Global Programme Water to anticipate new themes and emerging opportunities for development cooperation in the water sector. The objective of this webinar was to present scientific expertise and practical experience on how a circular economy perspective can open up opportunities in the water sector. Circular Economy approach is not only crucial for sustainable management of water resources, but also presents real potential for medium and long-term economic, social and governance advantages. There are however significant challenges in the Global South relating to existing infrastructure that need to be taken into account.
Circular economy principles to tackle challenges in the water sector - Webinar Slides 1
Presentation by Miriam Otoo
PDF2.81 MB4 October 2021
Circular economy principles to tackle challenges in the water sector - Webinar slides 2
Presentation by Annika Kramer
PDF588.46 kB4 October 2021
Circular economy principles to tackle challenges in the water sector - Webinar slides 3
Presentation by Kees Roest
PDF4.34 MB4 October 2021
Circular economy principles to tackle challenges in the water sector - Webinar summary
PDF1.07 MB4 October 2021
The webinar took place on October 26th 2022 and gave an introduction to WASH practitioners and decision-makers on how to design effective, evidence-based and population-tailored behaviour change activities using the RANAS approach. The question at the core of the approach is «How can people be motivated to adopt and maintain healthy and pro-environmental behaviours?». Key tools to systematically identify the most relevant incentives and barriers of the target behaviour into practical change interventions were presented and illustrated through two case-studies on handwashing from Lebanon and Palestine.
This webinar was held on the 4th of October 2021 as part of the RésEAU webinar series. It highlighted the third Trend Sheet of the Trend Observatory, an initiative led by SDC’s Global Programme Water to anticipate new themes and emerging opportunities for development cooperation in the water sector. The objective of this webinar was to present scientific expertise and practical experience on how a circular economy perspective can open up opportunities in the water sector. Circular Economy approach is not only crucial for sustainable management of water resources, but also presents real potential for medium and long-term economic, social and governance advantages. There are however significant challenges in the Global South relating to existing infrastructure that need to be taken into account.
Circular economy principles to tackle challenges in the water sector - Webinar Slides 1
Presentation by Miriam Otoo
PDF2.81 MB4 October 2021
Circular economy principles to tackle challenges in the water sector - Webinar slides 2
Presentation by Annika Kramer
PDF588.46 kB4 October 2021
Circular economy principles to tackle challenges in the water sector - Webinar slides 3
Presentation by Kees Roest
PDF4.34 MB4 October 2021
Circular economy principles to tackle challenges in the water sector - Webinar summary
PDF1.07 MB4 October 2021