No Time to Waste: A Synthesis of Evidence on Time Reallocation Following Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Interventions

Large amounts of time are wasted globally accessing water for domestic uses and sanitation, disproportionately impacting women and girls. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis based on evidence mapping initiatives. Our synthesis of the evidence found a mean reduction of 15 min per trip for water supply interventions, and 3 min per trip for sanitation interventions, adding up to around 8 h per week and 3.5 h per week respectively at the household level. Time-savings from improvements in the quantity of water supplied were very large, whether improved water supplies were provided at the household or community level. In contrast, studies on water treatment reported small increases in time, and there were no studies that reported reallocation following hygiene interventions. We found limited evidence on time reallocation to other activities, but disaggregated data showed girls were significantly more likely to attend school following interventions that improved water supply, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) at the household level. Of note, nearly half of the eligible studies collecting information about time use were identified in the grey literature. This policy-relevant evidence contributes to the case for increasing investments in appropriate water supply and sanitation interventions.