Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene in Emergency Settings: A Practical Guide
This chapter from the Public Health Guide for Emergencies, produced jointly by Johns Hopkins University and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), provides comprehensive guidance on water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) programming in emergency and displacement settings. It covers the full spectrum of WASH interventions — from excreta disposal and water quantity and quality standards to hygiene promotion, vector control, solid waste management, and drainage — grounded in Sphere Project minimum standards and key indicators. The chapter also includes dedicated sections on cholera outbreak response, food safety, and medical waste management, with practical tools such as assessment checklists, survey questionnaires, and chlorine dilution tables.
A distinguishing feature of this resource is its strong emphasis on community participation throughout the program cycle—from needs assessment through design, implementation, and maintenance. It consistently highlights the roles of women, vulnerable groups, and water and sanitation committees in ensuring the sustainability of WASH interventions. The chapter is equally attentive to the tension between immediate life-saving actions in the acute emergency phase and the long-term needs of populations that may remain displaced for months or years.
This resource is particularly relevant for National Society staff and volunteers, emergency response practitioners, and public health professionals working in camp or settlement contexts. It is well-suited as a foundational reference for WASH coordinators, field teams designing sanitation programs, and trainers developing capacity-building curricula on environmental health in emergencies.