A global organisation that finds solutions to complex humanitarian problems through research and innovation..
Our purpose is clear: we work in partnership with a global community of humanitarian actors, researchers and innovators to improve the quality of humanitarian action and deliver better outcomes for people affected by crises.
We empower the humanitarian community. Find out how we can support you...
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)
We identify the most pressing humanitarian challenges in WASH and design innovation challenges to find and support the right solutions.
In 2013, we began our work in WASH with a bold ambition: to identify and prioritise key problems in the field and to find and nurture innovative solutions to address these at scale. To date, we’ve supported more than 40 innovation projects or research studies in this area.
Our projects collectively address some of the most pressing challenges faced by humanitarian WASH practitioners globally. Together, we’re looking for what works. We’re seeking out innovation potential and creative problem-solving. And we’re supporting rigorous testing and evidence-building that drives progress in humanitarian response.
Why WASH?
Limited access to clean water and poor sanitation are drivers for the spread of diarrhoeal diseases – a critical challenge during crises.
These diseases account for more than 40% of deaths in the acute emergency phase, and for 80% of deaths in children under the age of two. Girls and women are particularly affected by a lack of well-designed latrines and access to safe water. We know that more needs to be done.
What we do
We have driven progress in humanitarian WASH by defining the most pressing problems, developing the right solutions, distilling our findings and driving positive change.
Identify and explore problems - we conduct in depth research on the most pressing gaps in WASH programming where innovation can really have an impact.
Design innovation challenges - equipped with this knowledge, we design innovation challenges that can address these complex challenges and break down the barriers that stop people accessing WASH services.
Fund and support innovation - we take a flexible, ethical and collaborative approach as a donor. We know that innovation takes time and support our projects to continually assess their work and pivot if needed to get the best result.
Distil evidence of what works - we work with our grantees to create and share practical tools and guidance based on the evidence of what works.
Empower the humanitarian community - once armed with this evidence and guidance around what works, we collaborate with the right people to drive adoption and change in the humanitarian system.
Our WASH Innovation Catalogue is the first of its kind. It offers a unique overview of some of the most promising new solutions in WASH, and is designed to help practitioners decide which innovations could help them solve their most pressing problems. Taking an innovation from idea to scale can take years, and the innovations featured in this catalogue are all at different stages on that journey, but what this offers the WASH sector now is a look at the exciting work happening around the world to address common challenges.
Ahead of our Adoption Challenge launch, on 8 December 2020, we created a place where people could get the know the WASH innovations ready for adoption a little better. The Marketplace includes information on the innovations and video pitches from the creators.
In 2019 we published the WASH Innovation Catalogue. The first of its kind, it offers a unique overview of more than 30 of the most promising new solutions in WASH. It is designed to help practitioners decide which innovations could help them solve their most pressing problems.
We create a platform for decision makers and influencers
Jan 2019
In Jan 2019 we held our first WASH Innovation Showcase. We brought together some of the leading WASH influencers, donors, innovators and decision makers to share their insights on tackling some of the most challenging problems in WASH.
Further deep dive exploration
Jun 2015
Advised by our Technical Working Group (TWG) of WASH experts, we published further deep dive exploration reports in five key areas to critically analyse the problems and devise the best approach for tackling them.
2015Jun
Launch of our Innovation Challenges
Jul 2014
We designed and developed 12 needs-based Innovation Challenges. These covered topics such as handwashing, surface water drainage, user-centred design and faecal sludge management.
2014Jul
WASH Gap Analysis
Jan 2013
In 2013 we published the sector’s first ever WASH Gap Analysis. This identified over 50 programming gaps where innovation could have a tangible impact.
WASH is about so much more than latrines and water. Providing effective WASH services in an emergency means understanding people’s needs, challenges, motivations and desires; it means responding to those in a way that provides people with safe and dignified ways of keeping themselves and their family healthy during one of the most difficult times of their life.
Innovation plays a crucial role in achieving this. Innovation can help us invent new water filters and latrine slabs; but innovation can also help us to see the problem and our solutions in new ways. At Elrha, we don’t want to run challenges to find a new solar-powered latrine light if we don’t know what latrine lighting means for the safety of users. We support our innovators to explore and address complex problems in a staged and responsible way and support them right from ideation to scale.
It’s a great privilege to work with creative and insightful humanitarians, academics and designers every day, and I am proud of the results already achieved by our over 30 successful WASH innovations.
We are a force for change. Join the conversation...
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