Dear colleagues,
Welcome to the tenth edition of the GWC 2022 Monthly Newsletter! We are pleased to share in this issue the latest updates from the GWC, materials and recordings from the GWC Satellite Events, the upcoming global cholera briefing, operational updates from the field, and fresh news from partner organizations including OXFAM, York University, CAWST, ELRHA, WHO, UNICEF and more. In addition, key documents from national coordination platforms are also featured in the operational update section. Highlights from countries this month showcase the Latin America - WASH LAC monthly update and the Afghanistan WASH Cluster 2022 dashboard and website.
According to WHO, since January 2022, 29 countries have reported cholera cases, including Haiti, Malawi, and Syria which are facing large outbreaks. In comparison, in the previous 5 years, fewer than 20 countries on average reported outbreaks. The global trend is moving towards more numerous, more widespread, and more severe outbreaks, due to floods, droughts, conflict, population movements, and other factors that limit access to clean water and raise the risk of cholera outbreaks. As the current supply of cholera vaccines is extremely limited, WASH responses and coordination with health is even more crucial to respond to the needs of affected people.
We remind all that we value showcasing the incredible work national coordination platforms and partners are doing around the world, so please send us your photos, stories, and other content to highlight the work of your team or draw attention to issues that matter to you. Read our submission guidelines here. All items can be sent directly for inclusion in the next newsletter by Friday 25 November 2022 to globalwashcluster@unicef.org.
Thank you for your attention and we hope you will find this insightful!
Best regards,
CAST (The Cluster Advocacy and Support Team)
Photo credits: © UNICEF/UN0715236/Souleiman
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GWC Collaborations and News
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The Global Task Force on Cholera Control, the Global Health and WASH Custers, together with UNICEF and WHO are pleased to share the invitation to an interactive global cholera briefing and call to action on Tuesday 8 November from 14h00 - 16h00 CET.
The event will showcase high-level keynote presentations, a global snapshot of the current outbreaks worldwide as well as key country insights and panel discussions. The briefing will also highlight recommended resources to ensure effective and accountable coordination of the technical response to cholera. The session will put forward a call to action to key stakeholders to support preparedness and response to the current outbreaks.
Register for the Zoom Meeting
Password: 889857
OR
Add to your calendar
We will share more details next week on the agenda and resources for this event. We look forward to you joining us at this important event.
On behalf of the GTFCC, GHC, GWC, UNICEF and WHO.
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We are happy to share that the Global WASH Cluster (GWC) Satellite Events were successfully held online from 10-14 October 2022. We would like to thank all conveners for the delivery of insightful sessions and discussions involving over 20 partner organizations and actors involved in humanitarian WASH.
A total of 16 collaborative sessions ranged from topics such as operational updates, localization, inter-cluster/sector collaboration, innovations, and many more sessions gravitating around humanitarian WASH and coordination.
If you wish to access key presentation materials and recordings, as well as further resources, see the below list.
In order to improve the way the Satellite Events are delivered, please take four minutes and provide us feedback in this quick evaluation by no later than 10 November 2022.
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The Global WASH Cluster provides Operational Support for national coordination platforms in humanitarian emergencies through deployments and remote support. The support is provided by the Field Support Team (FST), a consortium of WASH agencies providing 6 staff (3 x coordinators, 2 x information managers, and 1 x assessment specialist) with the support and oversight of the GWC-Cluster Advocacy and Support Team (CAST). To access these services national coordinators or information managers can send an email or inquiry to gwchelp@unicef.org (GWC Help Desk). |
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Resources and Tools from National Coordination Platforms - October 2022:
We encourage all National Coordination Platforms to send their examples, guidance, tools on coordination, information management, assessment and technical guidelines/documents directly to: globalwashcluster@unicef.org.
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UNICEF WASH - Key Updates and New Resources
UNICEF: Launch of WASH Knowledge Management Strategy 2022-2025
 In the new UNICEF Strategic Plan 2022-25, UNICEF has renewed its commitment to being a global knowledge leader, a facilitator and a convener for children and this is well reflected in the Global Knowledge Management Medium-Term strategy 2021-2022. The strategy aims to put knowledge to work to achieve rights and results for children, globally.
While the primary audience of this strategy are our staff working on WASH in more than 170 countries, we also believe that this strategy contributes to our partners in the field, our global and local knowledge partners, and our financial supporters in joining hands with UNICEF in advancing the wisdom that we have gained by working in different settings and contexts globally. Read more here or download the WASH Knowledge Management Strategy 2022-2025.
UNICEF, WHO, World Bank: Launch of State of the World’s Drinking Water Report
 This report developed by UNICEF, WHO and World Bank is a comprehensive survey of what we know about the links between water, health, and development, with actionable recommendations to reach Sustainable Development Goal targets on access to safe drinking water. It is illustrated by many examples of how countries have addressed the challenge of providing safely managed drinking water to their populations. The report outlines ways in which governments can meaningfully enact sustainable improvements, even with limited budgets and while capacity is developing, understanding that ultimately a comprehensive approach with political leadership is required, addressing infrastructure, governance, finance, capacity development, data and information and innovation. Download the report here.
World Toilet Day (WTD) on 18 November 2022 - UNICEF and Partners resources
 As part of this year’s commemoration of WTD, UNICEF HQ and its partners have lined up several activities to advocate for bold and ambitious actions to address the ongoing global sanitation crisis.
Please find the links below for resources, tools and factsheets which are also available on World Toilet Day website. All the resources are available in Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, English, French, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Swahili:
Factsheets: Arabic; Chinese; Hindi; English; French; Portuguese; Russian; Spanish; and Swahili
- Posters: Arabic ; Chinese; Hindi; English; French; Portuguese; Russian; Spanish; and Swahili
- Social media resources: Arabic; Chinese; Hindi; English; French; Portuguese; Russian; Spanish and Swahili
- Branded materials - Branded materials
- Countdown Stamp: Arabic ; Chinese ; Hindi; English; French; Portuguese; Russian; Spanish; and Swahili
- WTD logo to use for your email signature: Arabic; Chinese; Hindi; English; French; Portuguese; Russian; Spanish and Swahili
We are looking forward to your active engagements in this campaign. For any social media communications please use the following hashtag #WorldToiletDay. We must ensure safely managed sanitation for all - there will be no sustainable future without this.
Thank you very much for taking part in World Toilet Day 2022!
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Dahdaleh Institute: Safe Water Optimization Tool V2 Launch Event
 The Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research is pleased to announce the official launch of the Safe Water Optimization Tool Version 2, a new and improved water quality modelling platform that helps humanitarian responders ensure water safety and protect public health during emergencies. The SWOT uses routine water quality monitoring data to generate site-specific and evidence-based water chlorination targets that help keep water protected all the way up to the point-of-consumption.
The SWOT Team will showcase how lessons learned from two years of field deployments of the SWOT v1 prototype have helped shape the new SWOT v2. We’ll talk about advancements made to the tool’s machine learning and numerical modelling engines based on latest research, the re-imagined and re-designed user experience and interface, and new functionalities that help water system operators in emergencies do their work. Please register here to attend the online launch on Tuesday November 8th, 2022, 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. EST (open to everyone). |
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New Online Learning Platform: READY Outbreak Readiness and Response Learning Hub
 In September, READY soft-launched a new, online platform called the READY Outbreak Readiness and Response Learning Hub, and is now looking for humanitarians across the sector to explore and provide user feedback. The READY Outbreak Readiness and Response Learning Hub brings together a diverse range of online learning opportunities and resources for NGOs looking to strengthen their capacity to respond to major disease outbreaks in humanitarian settings.
Your feedback will be used to support the final development of the hub before it is officially launched in January 2023. This is your opportunity to feed into the development of the hub and make sure that it is user-friendly for you and your colleagues. To participate, please click here! The closing date to complete the survey is 11:59pm EST on November 2nd, 2022.
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Oxfam - New Publications
 New Sani-Tweaks research
This paper highlights the reflections from Sani Tweaks, a three-year project which was designed to improve the uptake and use of emergency latrines across several contexts and countries The project covered 11 countries, both refugee and IDP camps Numerous focus groups discussions were held in countries visited (mostly focusing on women and vulnerable groups) and 21 workshops were held with field practitioners in country.
Read the paper here!
Also take a look at the new chlorination guidance and the new environmental checklist!
 New Oxfam Supply Centre website launched
The site is designed to give the quickest load speeds for webpages. This will show an improvement for those working in regions or locations with low data speeds. You will see new features like:
- Product filters, to enable you to find equipment items more easily
- Videos in the product’s picture gallery
- A non-standard item request page Online customer registration
- A much improved quote submission page
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CAWST Canada Webinar - 30 years of the household slow sand filter
In this webinar recorded on September 20, 2022, speakers presented a comprehensive overview of the earliest to most recent models of the household slow sand filter, and spoke about lessons learned from decades of experience and innovation in the field. The webinar was hosted by the Household Water Treatment and Safe Storage (HWTS) Network, of which CAWST is a member of the Secretariat.
Find the recording in English and Spanish language! |
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Event Announcement: “The Triple Nexus in WASH: Regional Exchange Forum – Asia Region”
 The German WASH Network and UNICEF invite to this regional consultation regarding the Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus in WASH in Kathmandu, Nepal from 29 November to 1 December 2022. As the global Triple Nexus in WASH Initiative is currently developing and soon publishing a “Joint Operational Framework: WASH Resilience, Conflict Sensitivity and Peacebuilding” (JOF), this event will facilitate a multi-stakeholder consultation amongst persons implementing WASH services in the region to discuss challenges they face and how operationalizing the JOF might help. To promote coherence at all levels, practice to policy recommendations will be discussed in a high level roundtable on the afternoon of the third day. Please apply quickly, as registration closes on 3 November 2022.
More Information here! | Apply here! |
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Elrha New Report: Innovation Opportunities in Solid Waste Disposal in Humanitarian Settings
 The purpose of Innovation Opportunities in Solid Waste Disposal in Humanitarian Settings report is to explore how innovation may help address the challenge of improper solid waste disposal. Recognising that this is a broad gap the research team developed a 6-step methodology for exploring problems to identify innovation opportunities. The research team explored the problem of improper solid waste disposal in two settings – Rwamwanja Refugee Settlement, Uganda and Doolow Internally Displaced Person (IDP) Camp, Somalia. The report outlines the problems, causes and impacts of poor solid waste disposal in these settings and five innovation opportunities that could contribute to improving the situation. For each of these five broad opportunities more specific examples of how innovators or innovation funders could leverage the opportunity are provided:
- Build a zero-waste vision for humanitarian settings
- Safe and accessible disposal sites
- Sustainable collaboration models for humanitarian agencies and local authorities
- Support potential entrepreneurs to turn waste into a resource Identify and reduce high-impact waste resources
- Identify and reduce high-impact waste resources.
Read the report here!
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Accountability for action: How to start or strengthen your engagement with SWA’s Mutual Accountability Mechanism
Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) is organizing an exchange session on Thursday 3 November for new or long-standing partners who wish to learn more about SWA’s Mutual Accountability Mechanism (MAM) and understand how other countries are benefiting from engaging in this multi-stakeholder commitments’ cycle.
The MAM is the only global accountability process in the water, sanitation and hygiene sector that is dedicated to all stakeholders working together, towards achieving universal access to water and sanitation services. SWA approaches mutual accountability as a way to catalyse collective action and achieve goals quicker. The commitments tabled under the MAM are based on national policies and are formulated to enable monitoring. In just four years since the mechanism was launched, over 400 commitments have been tabled, with half of them coming from 60 national governments. Commitments are periodically monitored by partners at the national and global levels, and a first MAM Global Report was issued in November 2021.
The exchange session will be convened on Thursday 3 November at:
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PRO-WASH Special Announcement | Pathogen Studies Webinar Series
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Complete survey – help ALNAP to reach more humanitarians with critical learning
ALNAP - the Active Learning Network for Accountability & Performance - is a facilitator of collective and individual learning across the humanitarian sector. In this role, they plan to reach beyond their current audiences – supporting increased learning and exchange across the world – in order to influence necessary improvements in the delivery of global humanitarian assistance.
You can help by suggesting how ALNAP can strengthen its impact within the humanitarian sector. The survey should only take 10 minutes of your time - complete it here by 7 November 2022!
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IASC New Resources
Future of the Grand Bargain - Findings of the survey. The purpose of the survey was to measure the interest of the Signatories to continue their engagement and invest their internal resources in case of the continuation of the process. This exercise also provided quantitative data on the key elements of the Grand Bargain structure that bring most added value in achieving efficiency and effectiveness of humanitarian aid. Amongst the results:
- All constituencies are in favour of continuing the process, but with changes to and simplification of the structure.
- There is a continued commitment to participate in the Grand Bargain, yet the readiness to invest financial resources on implementation remains unclear.
Further resources:
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Chiyuni Village, Karonga receiving proper cholera treatment from one of the health workers at Chilumba rural hospital.
© UNICEF/UN0711207/
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