38th AGUASAN 2024 Workshop in Switzerland
The AGUASAN Workshop 2024 was held in Switzerland, focusing on WASH service delivery in fragile contexts through a system-strengthening approach and the humanitarian-development-peace nexus. This event was part of a broader, seven-month process involving CoP members and boundary partners. In September, a Run-up Webinar and related content compilation helped set the stage for the in-person AGUASAN Workshop, which took place from October 7–11, 2024, in Meielisalp, Switzerland. The workshop brought together 33 participants from 16 countries for a week of in-depth discussions and collaboration.
The AGUASAN Workshop focused on 2 main topics:
- Challenges and Opportunities of the WASH HDP Nexus: Integrating humanitarian action with long-term development remains a persistent challenge, particularly in protracted crises and post-disaster contexts. Key discussions throughout the workshop explored how to navigate coordination transitions between state and international actors while ensuring sustainable technology choices that address both immediate humanitarian needs and long-term population demands.
- Systems Strengthening: A systems-based approach is increasingly recognised as key to ensuring the long-term sustainability and equity of water and sanitation services. This approach considers the various factors and actors essential for effective WASH service delivery, promoting resilience and sustainability. However, applying this approach in humanitarian contexts presents challenges due to the dynamic nature of actors and factors involved. In conflict settings, maintaining humanitarian neutrality can complicate collaboration with certain system actors, while bypassing long-term actors may weaken systems and create dependency. Early integration of system actors in humanitarian efforts can facilitate smoother transitions and strengthen sustainable WASH services.
The workshop highlighted that strengthening systems is essential in HDP Nexus contexts, empowering national and local actors to sustain resilient WASH services beyond individual project interventions. Participants’ experiences demonstrated that a systems-strengthening approach offers valuable entry points for working across both humanitarian and development perspectives. Through case studies and expert insights, participants collaboratively identified key characteristics for successfully integrating the Nexus approach with Systems Strengthening in WASH. These characteristics were further illustrated with concrete examples.
Watch the AGUASAN Workshop Video for 2024:
