• News
    • Latest news
    • News search
    • Health
    • Finance
    • Food
    • Career news
    • Content series
    • Try Devex Pro
  • Jobs
    • Job search
    • Post a job
    • Employer search
    • CV Writing
    • Upcoming career events
    • Try Career Account
  • Funding
    • Funding search
    • Funding news
  • Talent
    • Candidate search
    • Devex Talent Solutions
  • Events
    • Upcoming and past events
    • Partner on an event
  • Post a job
  • About
      • About us
      • Membership
      • Newsletters
      • Advertising partnerships
      • Devex Talent Solutions
      • Contact us
Join DevexSign in
Join DevexSign in

News

  • Latest news
  • News search
  • Health
  • Finance
  • Food
  • Career news
  • Content series
  • Try Devex Pro

Jobs

  • Job search
  • Post a job
  • Employer search
  • CV Writing
  • Upcoming career events
  • Try Career Account

Funding

  • Funding search
  • Funding news

Talent

  • Candidate search
  • Devex Talent Solutions

Events

  • Upcoming and past events
  • Partner on an event
Post a job

About

  • About us
  • Membership
  • Newsletters
  • Advertising partnerships
  • Devex Talent Solutions
  • Contact us
  • My Devex
  • Update my profile % complete
  • Account & privacy settings
  • My saved jobs
  • Manage newsletters
  • Support
  • Sign out
Latest newsNews searchHealthFinanceFoodCareer newsContent seriesTry Devex Pro
    • News
    • WASH

    How to sell the water problem outside of the sector

    With competing global challenges, it can be hard to ensure clean water access is at the top of any agenda. Communications experts at World Water Week discuss how to make the issue resonate.

    By Rebecca L. Root // 01 September 2020
    ALICANTE, Spain — “We have failed.” That was World Wildlife Fund Communications Manager Richard Lee’s message to water communicators. Speaking on a panel at last week’s virtual World Water Week event, Lee said that despite some brilliant campaigns, “we are way off track from Sustainable Development Goal 6” on access to clean water. As of 2015, over 2 billion people still lacked access to water — a basic human right. And there is a substantial lack of funding; less than 14% of countries have the resources needed to implement water, sanitation, and hygiene plans. The interconnected nature of the SDGs means a lack of investment and progress in achieving access to water stymies progress among the other goals on health, livelihoods, education, and agriculture. Water professionals need to do a better job of connecting with those outside the sector, said Mina Guli — founder of Thirst, a grassroots education and innovation organization focused on raising awareness about the water crisis — during the same panel discussion. After attending her first World Water Week last year in Stockholm, Guli said she was shocked to discover that “we were water people talking to more water people inside a water forum.” Calling it “the big challenge,” Guli said CEOs, board members, and policymakers — people who can achieve change at scale — must be reached so that they can better understand the issue. “The rest of the world needs to understand and connect with water,” she said. “We also need to work on a communications campaign that works for businesses and finance [organizations],” Lee agreed. According to research, investment from the private sector is critical for WASH targets to be met. Given that water access is just one of many competing priorities on global agendas right now, how can communicators in WASH ensure the issue resonates with those who can help advance progress? 1. Tailor communications to the audience The first step is to figure out what matters to different groups, said Vincy Abraham, communications coordinator at Water Youth Network and campaign manager at Purpose Climate Lab, during a WWW session. From there, messaging needs to be tailored to the various audiences in a way that resonates with them. “How do we propose both climate and water as a matter that concerns them? What can we introduce to help build their commitment over time?” she said. Abraham recommended building unlikely partnerships that enable water organizations to work with people from different backgrounds to connect with new audiences. For example, in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, Purpose has begun working with faith groups to position faith leaders as leaders in climate change. This has allowed the organization to reach a new set of individuals on a different level. 2. Make the linkages One of the sector’s major shortcomings is in failing to make the link between taps, toilets, and freshwater ecosystems, Lee said. While there are multiple campaigns about the need for taps and toilets and the importance of healthy rivers and wetlands, there are very few that put the two issues together. “There’s a huge disconnect,” he said, adding that it does not matter how many taps and toilets there are if there is no water going into them, which is often not understood. “There’s no point campaigning to have healthy rivers if we’re not connecting that to what we need those rivers for, which are water for people,” he said. As an example of a campaign that has successfully married the two issues, Lee cited WWF’s Journey of Water, which originated in South Africa. The project takes local journalists and influencers on a journey from water source to tap to showcase where water actually comes from. “We need people to hear about these things from people they trust and believe in and also in words and ways that resonate with them,” he said. “Who wants to talk about water or about climate unless it’s relatable and there’s a value behind it?” --— Vincy Abraham, communications coordinator at Water Youth Network and campaign manager at Purpose Climate Lab Another link that needs to be made, according to Guli, is between the “big numbers” associated with the issue of WASH and what they mean in reality. For example, 263 million people have to travel over 30 minutes from home to collect water. Guli said that such figures are meaningless to those outside of the sector. To bring them to life, she recommended putting them in the context of a personal story — for example, an individual farmer struggling to grow produce or a child who has to walk miles to collect water. 3. Measure impact In response to an audience question about monitoring and evaluation, the experts agreed that measuring the impact of water communications is important. Abraham said Purpose monitors how sensitive audiences become to climate or water messaging. The organization does this by testing and polling on social media. “We also use a lot of social listening tools to try to understand: What are the narratives, and how are people changing their approach? … Have there been any changes since we started a campaign?” Abraham said. This allows an organization to see what methods are working in terms of connecting with its desired audience and course-correct if needed. “The ultimate is that we don’t have a water problem anymore,” Guli said. “Each time we go out and do a campaign, it’s about taking one step closer to obliterating this water crisis.” 4. Attribute value to water Those who endure water challenges fully understand its value, Guli said. But this can be harder to comprehend for someone who has easy access to drinking water, which means work must be done in shifting the value of water. Yet, when there are competing priorities — such as climate change and COVID-19 — there can be questions as to why water should be a top priority, she added. Abraham recommended identifying and then embedding campaigns within a set of values to highlight water’s importance. “When you’re talking to [people] in a language they understand and making a clear connect between the value it holds for them as people in a community, it makes a whole lot of a difference,” she said. For example, linking climate change and water to faith in Uttar Pradesh meant people were able to connect with the issue in a way they otherwise would not. “Who wants to talk about water or about climate unless it’s relatable and there’s a value behind it?” she asked, noting that this is where contextualizing and using local influencers can be helpful. “We can use culture, we can use identity and the values it brings for an individual.” Aside from faith, the issue of water could also be viewed through the lens of climate change and the impact it can have on progress for other SDGs or as good business sense.

    ALICANTE, Spain — “We have failed.” That was World Wildlife Fund Communications Manager Richard Lee’s message to water communicators.

    Speaking on a panel at last week’s virtual World Water Week event, Lee said that despite some brilliant campaigns, “we are way off track from Sustainable Development Goal 6” on access to clean water.

    As of 2015, over 2 billion people still lacked access to water — a basic human right. And there is a substantial lack of funding; less than 14% of countries have the resources needed to implement water, sanitation, and hygiene plans. The interconnected nature of the SDGs means a lack of investment and progress in achieving access to water stymies progress among the other goals on health, livelihoods, education, and agriculture.

    This story is forDevex Promembers

    Unlock this story now with a 15-day free trial of Devex Pro.

    With a Devex Pro subscription you'll get access to deeper analysis and exclusive insights from our reporters and analysts.

    Start my free trialRequest a group subscription
    Already a user? Sign in
    • Environment & Natural Resources
    • Water & Sanitation
    • Media And Communications
    Printing articles to share with others is a breach of our terms and conditions and copyright policy. Please use the sharing options on the left side of the article. Devex Pro members may share up to 10 articles per month using the Pro share tool ( ).
    Should your team be reading this?
    Contact us about a group subscription to Pro.

    About the author

    • Rebecca L. Root

      Rebecca L. Root

      Rebecca L. Root is a freelance reporter for Devex based in Bangkok. Previously senior associate & reporter, she produced news stories, video, and podcasts as well as partnership content. She has a background in finance, travel, and global development journalism and has written for a variety of publications while living and working in Bangkok, New York, London, and Barcelona.

    Search for articles

    Related Stories

    Sponsored by the Global Health Advocacy Incubator8 steps to amplify your health advocacy impact

    8 steps to amplify your health advocacy impact

    Devex Pro InsiderDevex Pro Insider: We follow the money, and give you advice on how to get it

    Devex Pro Insider: We follow the money, and give you advice on how to get it

    Devex Career EventHow development consultants can stay competitive in a crowded market

    How development consultants can stay competitive in a crowded market

    Decoding Food Systems: Sponsored by CGIARHow crop breeding can be a scalable solution to global malnutrition

    How crop breeding can be a scalable solution to global malnutrition

    Most Read

    • 1
      The power of diagnostics to improve mental health
    • 2
      Lasting nutrition and food security needs new funding — and new systems
    • 3
      Opinion: Urgent action is needed to close the mobile gender gap
    • 4
      Supporting community-driven solutions to address breast cancer
    • 5
      How to use law to strengthen public health advocacy
    • News
    • Jobs
    • Funding
    • Talent
    • Events

    Devex is the media platform for the global development community.

    A social enterprise, we connect and inform over 1.3 million development, health, humanitarian, and sustainability professionals through news, business intelligence, and funding & career opportunities so you can do more good for more people. We invite you to join us.

    • About us
    • Membership
    • Newsletters
    • Advertising partnerships
    • Devex Talent Solutions
    • Post a job
    • Careers at Devex
    • Contact us
    © Copyright 2000 - 2025 Devex|User Agreement|Privacy Statement