Sanitation and watershed management cooperation for improved governance and investments

WATCH — WASH Thinking Connected to Hydrology — is an innovative program linking watershed management to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) to reduce poverty and enhance livelihoods. It combines scientific methods with local knowledge to create an inclusive strategy that ensures equitable access to clean water and sanitation. In this session, we will present how this approach is being used in Bolivia and why it is essential as the country’s economy grows and various sectors require more water. We will detail a multiscale, multi-objective process, using tools that were co-designed with communities and government institutions. We will show how the process helped formulate plans for three watersheds that included not only water availability for productive uses, but also equitable access to safe drinking water and sanitation; this highlighted the value of water in contributing to poverty reduction and a more sustainable, equitable, and climate-resilient future. We will present the resulting plans that integrate watershed dynamics and WASH actions leading to actions that improve water security and that have financial viability through short and long-term investments. We will demonstrate how integrative approaches can tackle water management challenges beyond WASH and watershed to include issues environmental flows and public health.