A Community-Oriented and Climate-Adaptive WASH Framework for Disaster Risk Mitigation and Recovery in Rural India

Abstract

Climate change, uncontrolled land use, and environmental degradation have increased the frequency and severity of natural disasters, with a particular impact on rural Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) systems in countries like India. Floods, cyclones, droughts, and earthquakes frequently disrupt water supplies, destroy sanitation facilities, and hinder hygiene services, increasing disease risk and slowing recovery. Although WASH systems are important for responding to and recovering from disasters, they have not fully integrated climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction into their planning. This paper offers a community-oriented framework to reduce disaster risk and support the recovery of WASH services in rural India. The framework is based on seven strategic pillars: a climate-resilient water supply, adaptive sanitation, promotion of hygiene and public health, nature-based solutions, reform of institutions and governance, digital monitoring and early warning, and community capacity building. It draws together research, policy papers, and practical experience from programmes such as the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) and the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM)-Grameen. The key principles are to build back better, promote decentralised governance, ensure gender-responsive leadership, and adopt ecosystem-based approaches. The framework aims to reduce service disruptions, speed recovery, and build lasting resilience in rural WASH systems, offering a model applicable to other disaster-prone developing countries.