“It’s easy to see that water is an issue the world over. Either too much, too little or unsafe” How can we effectively measure sustainable water? How can we understand the impact and effectiveness of our work in relation to water insecurity? For World Water Day 2020, The Real Geek Series discusses how research, measurement and evaluation are essential tools …
Ripple Effects: women in Nepal and Bangladesh forge their own paths in water governance
In honour of International Women’s Day (March 8th) and World Water Day (March 22nd), this episode discusses how water systems and water governance are deeply intertwined with women’s lives in riverine communities in Bangladesh and Nepal. We learn about women’s rarely discussed roles in fisheries and how River Camps in Bangladesh offer supportive environments for women to meet with leaders …
Joining forces for better water services in Jordan
Alixandra Buck reports on an Oxfam project in Jordan where the local community is working with local authorities to improve water supplies. In Jordan, it is not common for government and citizens to talk face to face on issues of common concern. There is also scepticism on the role of civil society. We’re working to change that dynamic. Oxfam and …
Taking emergency water, sanitation and hygiene to market
Esther Shaylor explains how Oxfam is working with other NGOs to share learning about providing emergency water, sanitation and hygiene using local markets. In recent years there has been a change in how we deliver humanitarian aid. The humanitarian sector as a whole is moving away from distributing food and other items, and, through research and practice, is working out …
Taking a toilet break: on the railway line
Having unmet needs for water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) not only endangers life, it can negatively affect all aspects of daily existence, and women and girls suffer the most. Editor, Caroline Sweetman, introduces the WASH issue of the Gender & Development journal. Imagine you’re a teenage girl, dying to go to the loo – but you can’t, until your mother …
A harvest of dysfunction: Causes and impacts of drought in South Africa
John Magrath introduces the report, A Harvest of Dysfunction: rethinking the approach to drought, its causes and impacts in South Africa. “Interventions to assist poor people affected by drought must start with how drought itself is defined and understood” – so says Sipho Mthathi, Executive Director of Oxfam South Africa in her introduction to a new report that challenges the …
Unlocking the potential of social accountability to improve water and sanitation services
Achieving the targets within Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG) will require huge infrastructure investment to improve services and to extend them to those they currently do not serve. Social accountability Sustained universal coverage and water security will also need financial and institutional strengthening. This is particularly challenging for the water sector as it is highly dependent (75%) on donor funding …
Accelerating Action: The need for next generation water targets
Originally posted by CEO Water Mandate, this blog calls for transformational change in water stewardship efforts. here is an opportunity for leading companies endorsing the CEO Water Mandate to rise to the challenge as water stewardship efforts have not kept pace with the scale of water scarcity and pollution problems. Agriculture drives roughly 70 percent of global water withdrawals and …
Overcoming social barriers: A journey by women WASH platform
In this latest blog Ashish Barua explains how the all female ‘Women WASH Platform’ has broken down social barriers to encourage better practice in Bangladesh. “We install latrines inside the heads of people” Rina Begum, member of Surjodoy Community Based Organisation (CBO) from Bakshigonj upazilla in the Jamalpur district, almost bombed into the discussion. “You install it inside peoples’ heads?” …