Temporal and thematic trends in water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH) research in Pacific Island Countries: a systematic review

Abstract

Pacific Island Countries (PICs) lag behind global trends in water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH) development. We conducted a systematic search of all English language papers (published before February 2015) about WaSH in PICs to evaluate the state of the peer-reviewed literature and explore thematic findings. A total of 121 papers met the criteria for full-text review following an initial search result of more than 6000 papers. Two reviewers independently assessed the quality and relevance of each article and consolidated their findings according to four emergent themes: public health, environment, emergency response and interventions, and management and governance. Findings indicate a knowledge gap in evidence-guided WaSH management strategies that advocate for human health while concurrently protecting and preserving drinking water resources. Extreme weather events threaten the quantity and quality of limited freshwater resources, and cultural factors that are unique to PICs present challenges to hygiene and sanitation. This review highlights the strengths and weaknesses of the peer-reviewed literature on WaSH in PICs, addresses spatial and temporal publication trends, and suggests areas in need of further research to help PICs meet development goals.

Urban and rural sanitation in the Solomon Islands: How resilient are these to extreme weather events?

“…An often-stated obstacle to improving WaSH services in PICS relates to their isolated geography and the remoteness of the communities, which can create a more pronounced rural-urban disparity (Clarke et al 2014, MacDonald et al 2017, Hadwen et al 2015. Based on the analysis preceding this paper (Supplementary Files 1-3, Anthonj et al 2018, significant rural-urban inequalities in sanitation services, child faeces disposal and handwashing services, exist in the Solomon Islands.…”

“…PICs are vulnerable to extreme weather events such as tropical storms, drought, heavy rainfall, and flooding, as well as longer-term hardships related to sea level rise (IPCC 2014). PICs are inhabited by predominantly rural populations with limited resources and market access, and diverse cultures, all of which make the provision of drinking water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH) services difficult (Hadwen et al 2015, MacDonald et al 2017.…”

“…The country is vulnerable to climate change (Shields et al 2016), impacted by sea level rise (Albert et al 2016), and faces threats from increasingly frequent extreme weather events, particularly tropical cyclones and heavy rains resulting in flash floods (Hadwen et al 2015), as well as decreased rainfall and resulting drought (Hadwen et al 2015, Connell 2015. Such events can damage sanitation infrastructure (MacDonald et al 2017 and threaten the sustainability of development programs. The literature base discussing how climate change affects sanitation infrastructure is very limited (Howard et al 2016, Luh et al 2017, Sherpa et al 2014, even though the impacts will likely be just as significant as those on water infrastructure (Howard et al 2016) and may contribute or compound the threats to drinking water supplies (Luh et al 2017).…”

Geographical inequalities in drinking water in the Solomon Islands

“…In the Solomon Islands, a Pacific Island Country (PIC), that comprises hundreds of small islands and is located remotely in the Pacific Ocean, that is environmentally and economically vulnerable and that is subject to rapid urban growth, the provision of safe domestic drinking water is challenging (Hadwen et al, 2015;MacDonald et al, 2017, Moglia et al 2008, White et al 2008). The low coverage of sanitation and sewerage services (Fleming et al 2019, SOPAC 2007, WHO and UNICEF 2019 poses a contamination threat to the surface water resources (Merson et al 1977, Mosley et al 2004, White et al 2008.…”

Multiple Household Water Sources and Their Use in Remote Communities With Evidence From Pacific Island Countries

“…This study was set in Pacific Island Countries (PICs) due to their place at the forefront of global development and climate. The Pacific region made the least progress toward global drinking water and sanitation targets (MacDonald et al, ; WHO & UNICEF, ); SIDS are a focus of the SDGs (United Nations, ); and many PICs are highly vulnerable to water‐related climate change threats, such that an understanding of source diversity and usage are essential for adaptation (Hadwen et al, ).…”