Climate-Resilient WASH: Evaluating Adaptation Strategies, and Sustainability in Disaster-Prone Communities of Cabo Delgado, Mozambique.

Abstract

This study examines the role of climate-resilient water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) intervention in strengthening community resilience in two disaster-prone districts of Cabo Delgado province, Mozambique: Mecufi and Metuge. Climate-related hazards, cyclones, floods, droughts, and conflict-induced displacement, place considerable strain on water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) systems throughout Cabo Delgado Province, Mozambique. The study used a convergent mixed-methods design that combines a household survey of 350 respondents with 30 key informant interviews, four focus group discussions with women, men, youth, and community health worker, WASH committee representatives, and direct field observation of WASH facilities. The study assessed water access, sanitation infrastructure, hygiene practices, health outcomes, household and community disaster preparedness, and the governance structures supporting WASH service sustainability. Findings indicate that climate-resilient WASH interventions including elevated and flood-protected water points, durable latrine construction, and community-based WASH committees were associated with statistically meaningful improvements in water source functionality during climatic shocks, reductions in self-reported diarrhoeal morbidity, and stronger household-level disaster preparedness relative to non-intervention comparators within the same districts. Nonetheless, the study identifies persistent governance and financing gaps that threaten the long-term sustainability of these gains, including inconsistent user-fee collection, delayed repairs, and uneven engagement of local authorities. The study concludes with recommendations for strengthening the institutional, financial, and gender-inclusive foundations of climate-resilient WASH programming in Cabo Delgado and comparable disaster-prone settings across Mozambique.

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