Scope and Application

Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus

The humanitarian-development-peace nexus (HDPN) recognizes the links between humanitarian, development, and peace sectors to outline that the outcomes of collective work can be achieved more efficiently and effectively. WASH interventions deliver immediate basic needs during a humanitarian emergency whilst working towards governance, gender equity, and job creation thereby moving towards development and peace. IOM WASH aims to consider long-term planning and IOM's exit strategy from the outset, including implementing sustainable solutions that are scalable, to allow them to adapt to the emergency over time, with considerations for mitigation of underlying vulnerabilities for reducing disaster risk and improving resilience. Similarly, service targets can evolve over time, from covering basic SPHERE standards during an emergency to reaching towards national standards for development as the emergency evolves.

Accountability to Affected Populations

IOM WASH recognises communities are the primary change agents in emergencies and should be the most influential decision-makers before, during and after an emergency. They are to be listened to, with the needs and rights of all individuals and communities being at the core of IOM WASH operations. It is to these populations whom IOM WASH's work is accountable. In order to keep accountability to affected populations, IOM maintains a Complaints and Feedback Mechanisms (CFM) in place to address complaints and ensure the programs are responding to identified needs and operates on the principle of Do No Harm. IOM WASH responses aim to align to the highest standards of quality, with respect for the strategic principles (immediate, appropriate, scalable, sustainable), as drivers for ensuring accountability to affected populations, as well as IOM team members and donors.

Integrating Climate Change and the environment into WASH programmes

IOM WASH programmes aim to consider climate change and the environment in all interventions, including emergencies. This could include acquiring good hydrogeological knowledge of the area as a prerequisite to ensure sustainable water provision and avoid over-exploitation using local reforestation, sustainable wood fuel production, and/or consideration for appropriate management and disposal hazardous waste, such as aluminium residual from sedimentation tanks. Climate change can be considered by reducing fossil fuel consumption through use of renewable energy for pumping, decentralized sanitation solutions (such as twin pit latrines) to minimize energy involved in desludging and treatment, use of gravity and hybrid water supply systems and use of local materials to avoid carbon emissions from transport.

Gender equity

WASH programmes should not exacerbate negative social norms and power dynamics, create competition for aid, or reinforce gender inequalities. Approaches used by IOM to practically address this including ensuring safety, privacy, dignity, and inclusion appropriate to the context in all WASH facility design, promoting women's involvement in water management committees and opportunities as water system operators and mechanics, and strategies to hire and build the capacity of more skilled women in WASH teams. IOM WASH aims for women to be equally represented in WASH committees, not only in numbers but also in terms of decision-making powers, as well as when engaged as hygiene promoters. Gender-specific latrines and bathhouses should consider local preferences for cleaning, drying, and disposal of menstrual hygiene management (MHM) products and time and space for bathing children based on the need assessments.

Marginalization

Emergencies affect vulnerable and marginalized groups more than others. The ability of excluded groups to access services is often restricted when they do not have decision making power or the opportunity to access services. Marginalization can occur to a range of groups including the elderly, women and women who are breastfeeding, unaccompanied children, people with disabilities (PwD) or less-able bodied, stigmatism for people living with HIV/AIDs or people formerly with Ebola, different genders or sexual orientations, people with mental disabilities, certain tribal, ethnic or religious groups or political affiliations. All WASH service provision should strive for equity and inclusion, making consideration for the needs of groups who may not be immediately visible, and liaising with affected communities and key stakeholders and modifying designs/interventions as required. In practice this could look like additional space in latrines for PwD, additional water points to reduce queuing time for the elderly, hygiene promotion materials in multiple languages with different pictures to target multiple ethic groups, or targeted needs assessments for unaccompanied children.

Gender-based-violence (GBV) and Protection

Barriers to safe access to WASH services can significantly increase the level of exposure to GBV. In addition, children's lives are particularly disrupted by emergencies and they are more susceptible to WASH related diseases. IOM WASH aims to contribute to mitigating GBV and protection risks by providing safe, accessible and affordable WASH facilities and services. Approaches used by IOM to practically address this may include conducting safety audits for WASH facilities including safety, privacy, dignity and inclusion appropriate to the context, women's involvement in water management committees and management of NFI distributions, and giving children tools and knowledge on WASH, acknowledging that what children learn is often shared with the rest of the family, increasing reach and sustainability of impact. IOM WASH staff should be aware of GBV and child protection issues whilst acknowledging when to collaborate with other IOM teams (such as IOM GBV or Protection teams) to ensure the right expertise is consulted to 'Do No Harm'.

Core pipeline management

Core pipeline is a central repository of the WASH Non-Food Item (NFI) supply mechanism that aims to strengthen the country WASH sector's capacity to respond to critical humanitarian needs, assuring harmonization of items, sustained availability of core items, cost-efficiency due to economies of scale, and enabling uniform and coordinated responses. A conventional core pipeline project includes the procurement, transportation, pre-positioning, replenishing, and storage of essential WASH items within a country or region. Through cluster or sectoral coordination, WASH agencies are able to access core pipeline supplies and provide the crisis affected population with immediate and appropriate lifesaving WASH items and services. An integrated response ensures those affected households benefit from NFI packages as an interim coping mechanism that facilitates quick recovery.

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Contacts

IOM's Global WASH Support Team is available to support country missions in a variety of ways as outlined in the IOM Global WASH Support Team mechanisms, including surge support, remote support and/or monitoring, evaluation, and learning.

The Global WASH Support Team can be contacted for additional information or specific guidance at washsupport@iom.int.