Improving WASH response by reinforcing sector preparedness and coordination

A successful WASH response relies on good coordination and preparedness. There have been global initiatives to improve emergency response, such as the humanitarian reform process, but there is still a shortfall in how coordination platforms perform. It is also reported that there is a disconnect between international and national level representatives. In 2011, a project to improve WASH humanitarian response was rolled out in six regions to help bridge this gap and to reinforce the capacity and preparedness of emergency coordination platforms (ECP) in high disaster risk countries. For the first time, regional advisors to the WASH cluster (RECAs) were hosted in NGO organisations rather than in Unicef. This paper looks at this unique approach, presents some of the successes, looks at the challenges and summarises lessons learnt.