THE QUESTION
Where do water, waste and coastal health meet?
PART 01
Map the water pathway
Rainfall, drinking-water sources, wastewater, sanitation and runoff form one connected system. Severe weather can affect several parts at once.
Practical steps
- List water sources, storage, drainage and wastewater discharge locations known to the community.
- Identify who maintains each existing service and where responsibilities are unclear.
- Record flooding, saltwater intrusion or service outages as observed events rather than assumed technical conclusions.
PART 02
Prioritise health and safety
Unsafe drinking water and sanitation need public-health-led responses, not improvised technical recommendations.
Practical steps
- Refer drinking water concerns to local water or health authorities.
- Do not prescribe treatment chemicals, system sizing or infrastructure repairs without qualified review.
- Separate immediate safety messages from longer-term upgrades.
PART 03
Prepare a resilient-service brief
An early project brief can help local specialists or public agencies review options without starting procurement prematurely.
Practical steps
- Document who uses the facility and any seasonal demand changes.
- Record power availability, maintenance capacity, access and storm exposure.
- Use UNICEF's Pacific guidance to identify wider climate and equity considerations.
What you should have at the end
- Existing water and waste services map
- Incident and maintenance questions list
- Local-authority discussion brief
Further reading
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UNICEF Pacific WASH Resilience GuidelinesThis general educational guide is not a substitute for locally authorised environmental, health, safety, engineering or planning advice.