Vital Water Services
Access to safe, reliable, and inclusive water and sanitation services is fundamental to human wellbeing, public health, and climate-resilient development. Vital water services encompass the sustainable management of water resources across the entire water cycle — from source protection and supply systems to sanitation, wastewater treatment, and safe reuse. These services play a critical role in supporting livelihoods, reducing disaster risks, improving agricultural productivity, and ensuring equitable access to essential resources in both rural and urban contexts.
Effective water and sanitation systems rely not only on infrastructure, but also on strong governance, local ownership, and long-term operational sustainability. Approaches such as water safety planning, groundwater management, nature-based solutions including wetlands for water treatment and recharge, and improved management of non-revenue water contribute to more efficient and resilient service delivery.
A key element of sustainable water service delivery is strengthening local capacity and market systems. Market-based approaches promote the development, supply, installation, and maintenance of affordable water and sanitation technologies, particularly in underserved rural areas.
Explore this collection of blogs, videos, and publications highlighting technical innovations and community-based approaches to sustainable water and sanitation services.
Blogposts
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- Green and Blue Economy
- Vital Water Services
- Landscapes and Local Climates
- Knowledge Repository for GFFA 2026
- Improved Laundry and Hygiene
- Ecologically-based Rodent Management
- Soil Management
- Green Transformation
- Green Infrastructure
- Dryland Development
- Agroecology
- Livelihoods from Floods
- Locally-Led Adaptation in Practice
- Groundwater Management
- Water and Development Partnership
- Preserving Assets - Operation and Maintenance in Delta’s
- Salinity Management
- Water integrity
- Water Productivity
- Managing Desert Locusts
- None left behind
- Mega Irrigation
- Cross-Cutting Topics