Strengthening rural community water safety planning in Pacific Island countries: evidence and lessons from Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and Fiji

Abstract

Pacific Island Countries (PICs) collectively have the lowest rates of access to safely managed or basic drinking water and sanitation globally. They are also the least urbanised and have dynamic socioeconomic and increasing climate-based challenges. Community-based water managers need to effectively respond to variability in water availability and quality caused by a range of hazards. Water safety planning (WSP), a widely adopted approach to managing water quality and quantity offers a risk-based approach to mitigating both existing and future hazards. WSP is adaptable, and making modifications to prescribed WSP to localise it is a common practice globally. As part of the Pacific Community Water Management Plus project, we used formative research and co-development processes to understand existing modifications, to know whether further modifications are required, and to identify, where possible pilot, additional modifications to WSP in Fiji, Vanuatu, and Solomon Islands. The types of additional localisations that were recommended reflect the unique context of PICs, including adjusting for community-based water management, community governance, levels of social cohesion, and preferred adult-learning pedagogies. Incorporating these factors into future WSP will improve the likelihood of sustained and safe community water services.