Global health and water security are connected in multiple ways, and related data can be used to inform health-related decision making and interventions.
Guaranteeing access to sufficient water supply of good quality while also protecting communities from water-related threats such as flooding and other extreme weather events are crucial to promote human health. We look at water-related infrastructure, such as provision of safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), as well as water-related knowledge and behaviour, and how resulting health challenges, such as water-related infectious disease exposure, can be prevented.
We work in different regions and among different populations in low-, middle- and high-income countries. Central to our work are the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) #6: access to water and sanitation for all, and SDG 3: good health and well-being for all at all ages.
We look at water and health challenges from a broader perspective, which includes implications of
- Extreme weather events, e.g. the impact of flooding on the accessibility and functionality of WASH and health infrastructure, and on physical, mental and social health outcomes.
- Inequality, e.g. variations in access to safe WASH in space and time, and among different population groups.
- Education, e.g. the importance of water-and health-related knowledge for health promotion, and the provision of safe WASH in schools.
- Cultural context, e.g. water-related practices and behaviours, health-related (mis)beliefs, local knowledge of water and health and their importance for contextualized health-related decision making.
WATER, HEALTH AND DECISIONS RESEARCH
At ITC, we look at the various connections between global health and water security, and how related data can be used to inform health-related decision making and interventions.
Water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH) and health in schools
“Schools, depending on their access to and quality of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) and the implementation of healthy behaviours, can be critical for the control and spread of many infectious diseases, including COVID-19”.
Drinking water infrastructure: Rainwater harvesting
While rainwater harvesting can result in numerous benefits for consumers and the water sector overall, it’s not always clear how to effectively promote and increase the prevalence of this practice. (Photo by Joshua Tsu on Unsplash)
COVID-19 and water, sanitation and hygiene in schools. Implications, challenges, solutions.
The role that children play in the transmission pathways of COVID-19 remains unclear. What we know is ...
Water Security, Global Health and Decision-making
How geography can assist policy-makers and practitioners, how it can lead to practical recommendations and interventions, and how it can inform policymakers to tackle and solve health challenges.
Coronavirus in wastewater in space and time
How can spatial data help policymakers on wastewater issues in the Netherlands? An interview with Oladapo Hassan.
Water and sanitation in healthcare facilities
Within this research project, we take a comprehensive look at comparable datasets on WASH in HCFs from 11 countries.
Risk perceptions and behaviours
Health-related knowledge, awareness, and health risk perceptions - how an individual perceives a health threat - are important determinants of health behaviours and components of behaviour change theories.- Climate-resilient WASH among people experiencing homelessness in cities
Access to clean drinking water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure (WASH) and related health benefits are widely enjoyed in high-income countries.
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MSc2 Joint programmes
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MSc2 Joint programmes
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MSc2 Joint programmes
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MSc2 Joint programmes
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MSc2 Joint programmes
Learn to apply geo-information and Earth observation techniques to tackle global water-related challenges such as flooding, water scarcity, water pollution, and food safety.
