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Delivering good water, sanitation and hygiene services not just to a few people for a while but to everyone forever requires a fundamental shift in the way we all think and work together.

WASH news and events

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Renforcement des systèmes WASH : les bases

Renforcement des systèmes WASH : les bases

Pourquoi avons-nous besoin de renforcer les systèmes WASH ?
Participants completing the online course as part of the training

Testing the WASH Systems Academy’s blended learning approach in Ethiopia

IRC WASH Ethiopia gave a nine-day Training of Trainers (ToT) to the Ethiopian Water Technology...
PPE distribution featuring LC5 Chair, Hon. Richard Rwabuhinga

Safeguarding public health where it matters most

IRC Uganda leads interventions to advance urgent improvements to the state of healthcare facilities...
Marc Kaboré of Oxfam

Interview with Marc Kaboré of Oxfam

Marc Kaboré: "Trust has been built between Oxfam and Banfora town hall”.
The mayor of Banfora during the interview

Interview with the mayor of Banfora

"We are very grateful to Oxfam and its partners who support us", Aboubakar Hema (Mayor of Banfora).
Banfora stakeholders attending the meeting on the Oxfam donation

Oxfam and Banfora district: a welcome partnership

The district of Banfora has received direct financial support from Oxfam Burkina to help in the...
Marc Kaboré de Oxfam

Entretien avec Marc Kaboré de Oxfam

Marc Kaboré: « La confiance s’est installée entre Oxfam et la mairie de Banfora ».
Maire de Banfora pendant l'interview

Entretien avec le maire de Banfora

« Toute notre reconnaissance à l’endroit de Oxfam et de ses partenaires qui nous accompagnent »,...
Walkers group photo

Marking World Water Day in Kabarole district in Uganda

IRC Uganda and its partners supported and participated in the series of Uganda Water and...
De G à D, Aboubakar Hema, Maire de Banfora, Michara Mahamad, Secrétaire Général de la Région des Cascades, Omer Kaboré, Directeu

Oxfam et commune de Banfora, un partenariat à saluer

La commune de Banfora vient de bénéficier de l’appui financier direct de Oxfam Burkina, dans le...
Finance for sustainable WASH systems

Finance for sustainable WASH systems: Sign up for our new course

It's now possible to pre-register for the latest WASH Systems Academy online course ‘Finance for...
Participants discussing during the review meeting in Banfora in February 2021

Banfora on the road to SDG 6: lessons from 3 years strategic WASH plan

The third annual review meeting on the strategic WASH plan of Banfora took place in February 2021.
Participants at the February 2021 meeting in Banfora

Banfora en route vers l’ODD6 : que retenir des 3 ans du PSC-AEPA ?

Le troisième revue annuelle de son plan stratégique communal des services publics d'eau potable et...
participants of the incubation programme in front of the Chamber of Commerce

L’entreprenariat des jeunes mis en avant à Banfora

Des jeunes femmes et hommes de Banfora participent à un programme d'incubation pour devenir des...
Incubation programme participants with their ceritificates

Youth WASH entrepreneurship in Banfora

Young women and men in Banfora are participating in an incubation programme to become successful...
Workshop participants discuss plans in Banfora, December 2020

A new roadmap for the next five years for Banfora, Burkina Faso

At a workshop in December 2020, participants contributed to Banfora district's next five-year...

Blogs, podcasts, opinions and more

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Ghana - Asutifi North master plan meeting

Coming soon: a master planning facility for WASH

Building new partnerships and setting clear goals to leverage investment.
Jerrycans at pump

We have a district WASH master plan: now what?

"The master plan provides a strategic tool in bringing all sector actors together around a singular objective." - Magdalene Matthews, Senior Program...
Water project in Arusha, Tanzania

RUWASA transformation: Rising to the challenge

Using learning hub 'model projects' to test new approaches for projects and service delivery.
Launch of ANAM implementation phase

What is in a name - the ANAM WASH initiative

The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation supports collective action in many countries. Ghana is proudly one of them.
Shashamane and Negelle Arsi woredas' WASH SDG master plans are being discussed by participants

Immediate gains from long-term planning

Reflections from district level WASH SDG master planning in Negelle Arsi and Shashamane, Ethiopia.
Kenya - Budget Champion Penina Tombo at a public participation forum

The water sector needs strong CSOs, now more than ever

Watershed empowering citizens was a unique programme focused on advocacy and influencing. After 5 years, what have we learned?
HE Ms Cora van Nieuwehuizen

90% of climate disasters are water related

Building resilience is not a "nice to have"- it is essential, says Ban Ki Moon.
Open budget meeting, Veduria Union, Bangladesh

The magical civic space that brings stakeholders together

Getting citizens and marginalised groups a seat at the table with local government is a core activity of IRC.
A camel and cattle on the banks of water body, Somali region, Ethiopia

Systems thinking for WASH in chronic crises: lessons from Ethiopia

Sharing lessons learnt from Somali region around systems thinking in WASH and collaboration between organisations in the humanitarian-development-...
People fetching water at a tanker in Afar, Ethiopia

Strong WASH systems are climate resilient systems

The same capacities that help us adapt to COVID-19 can be used to face climate change.
Woman sitting in front of computer screen in Ganjam district, Odisha, India

Decolonisation of WASH knowledge: addressing institutional bias

COVID-19 and #BlackLivesMatter are a wake-up call for leaders to take a closer look at WASH knowledge generation.
La Vies des Noires Compte / Black Lives Matter, Gay Village, Monteal

Decolonising the WASH sector

Being true to #BlackLivesMatter. Report of an IRC Global Talk.
Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) instructions for chlorine disinfection in Kabarole, Uganda. Photo M. Watsisi/IRC Uganda

What legacy of COVID-19 do we want for the WASH sector?

Our strategic systems responses to the pandemic and climate change.
WASH system academy animation

Strengthening WASH systems: Join the community

The WASH Systems Academy is inspiring to do more.
water user fee collection

Funding WASH Systems during COVID-19

The impact of COVID-19 has been unprecedented on all areas of peoples lives globally, on a scale barely imagined only a few months ago. From the ever...
Queuing for water in the Sahel

Navigating WASH complexity through collective action

Providing water and sanitation services to people who live in rural areas or informal settlements or simply aren’t connected to pipes is a complex...

Resources

Search and explore all 249 resources here

IRC Monitoring Report 2020

2021

Improving WASH service delivery in small towns : systems approach implemented in Ethiopia

2021
Systems approaches are ongoing processes which...

Learning from longterm strategic planning in a district

2021
This paper details the steps taken in Ethiopia,...

More sustainable systems through consolidation? : the changing landscape of rural drinking water...

2020
The two utility models present in Kabarole...

WASH master plan for Asutifi North District Assembly : 2019 annual performance report

2020
Based on evidence-based monitoring of water and...

Reframing the challenges and opportunities for improved sanitation services in Eastern Africa...

2020
Successful sanitation approaches were...

IRC Monitoring Reports 2013 - 2019

2020

The District-Wide Approach : progress review from its application in five districts in Rwanda

2020
This systematic approach to planning suits the...

Burkina Faso : a water sanitation and hygiene information sheet

2020
The status of WASH at national and municipal...

WASH system building block assessment tool

2020
An Excel tool to assess the strengths and...

Strengthening water, sanitation, and hygiene systems : concepts, examples, and experiences

2020
This paper presents the journeys that Agenda for...

Application of the district-wide approach in 5 pilot districts of Rwanda : lessons learned

2020
Between 2017 and 2019, the District-Wide Approach...

Learning exchange visit to Asutifi North District, Ghana on implementation of the district WASH...

2019

All systems go! WASH systems symposium : proceedings part 2

2019
All systems go! was the first event of its kind...

A local systems analysis for rural water services delivery in South Ari and Mile, Ethiopia

2019
This report summarises the strengths of the...

Planning differently : developing long-term, strategic plans for district-wide water, sanitation...

2019
Long-term strategic planning at the district...

Videos

Strong WASH systems: playing the hub role
Strong WASH systems: political buy-in and leadership
Strong WASH systems: the importance of master planning
Strong systems: making water and sanitation for everyone, everywhere and forever a reality
Systems strengthening for sanitation
WASH is about systems
An introduction to multi-stakeholder platforms with Jeroen Warner
Patrick's Poo
It's about the systems stupid
Working for change in Uganda
The power of working together: Kabarole district
Kampala WASH Symposium - Exploring a Whole System Approach
Tribute speech for Ton Schouten by Harold Lockwood
The quest for water services that last
The ideal WASH sustainability tool
2014 WASH Sustainability Forum