How climate change impacts sanitation in poor countries

Extreme weather events linked to climate change can damage toilets, water supplies, waste systems, and treatment facilities, especially in developing countries and marginalised groups identified as more vulnerable to climate change impacts.

According to the new report from the Sanitation Learning Hub, over two billion people still lack access to basic sanitation facilities, leading to the spread of diseases and poses human health risks from the young to the old.  

The report highlights how climate change affects sanitation in rural areas of Indonesia, Chad, and Solomon Island, South Asia, and Africa. It gathered the experiences of local people involved in sanitation programmes as case studies and provides practical guidance for climate adaptation strategies for long term coping with climate change.

According to one sanitation practitioner in South Asia, heavy rainfalls can lead to landslides. When toilets are far away from home, which is true in some communities, the lack of access during and after disasters, especially from people with mobility issues, can lead to open defecation.

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