Health and economic benefits of water-sensitive revitalisation in informal urban settlements (360G-Wellcome-205222_C_16_Z)

Urbanisation is a major demographic trend globally. Informal settlements account for much urban growth, exacerbating the inextricably linked challenges of sanitation, water provision, and public health. The conventional ‘big pipes’ solution to these challenges has changed little in 150 years, comes at major financial, environmental, and social costs, and frequently overlooks informal settlements. We have pioneered an alternative, water-sensitive approach that integrates sustainable design with the management of the water-cycle, benefiting human health and urban ecosystems. This decentralised, climate-change sensitive approach provides financial flexibility for multistage developments and adaptability to future technologies. It promises a solution to the water services challenges of informal settlements, yet has only been demonstrated in developed world settings. We will examine whether the water-sensitive approach can be applied to revitalise developing-world informal settlements to improve environmental and public health outcomes. Our evidence-based assessment of its efficacy across 24 settlements, poorly served by water infrastructure in Makassar and Suva, will deliver the first public health and environmental data on the benefits and risks of water-sensitive approaches. Our scientific, economic and implementation findings will provide the basis for profound changes to infrastructure policies, investments, loan strategies, and their sustainability across the Asia-Pacific and the developing world.