Designing and implementing programs to strengthen climate resilience of WASH services- Learning Brief

This document presents WaterAid’s lessons from designing and implementing the HALIRAS project in Timor-Leste to strengthen the resilience of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) systems and services to climate change. It presents five key lessons, with accompanying recommendations, for funders and implementers of climate resilient WASH programs: 
1. Climate resilience cannot be integrated effectively and sustainably into WASH 
services when WASH governance systems remain weak. 
2. As a cross-sectoral issue, climate resilience requires strong coordination platforms 
and inter-departmental collaboration. 
3. In the absence of detailed climate data and climate change projections, local climate 
knowledge can enable some steps to be taken to improve climate resilience. 
4. Community knowledge, capacity and preparation are essential to inclusive climate-resilient WASH services. 
5. Climate resilient WASH services must be inclusive WASH services.