An urgent call for resilient WASH solutions at fish landing sites

Access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) is the most basic human need for health and well-being. Globally, it’s estimated that around 600 million people depend on fisheries and aquaculture for their livelihoods, many of whom reside in coastal and fish landing site communities. Fish landing sites are often located at the interface of land and water where they are directly exposed to variations in water levels. Unlike other flood-prone areas, fish landing sites are proximal to water bodies and low-lying terrains making them vulnerable to the regular occurrence of floods that overwhelm existing WASH systems, making them unreliable or completely non-functional during critical times. The combination of significant organic waste from fish processing with floodwaters leads to serious water quality issues, such as contamination of drinking water sources, increased risk of waterborne diseases like cholera, and ecosystem disruptions via algal blooms. Additionally, these sites are highly susceptible to frequent infrastructure inundation, further contamination of water sources, and substantial damage to sanitation facilities. Despite the poor WASH infrastructure risk factors, most research has focused on fish catch reduction and unsanitary processing practices that expose fishing communities to pathogens. While this focus is essential for understanding food safety, it overlooks a critical aspect of public health—resilient sanitation and hygiene infrastructure in fishing communities. In this article, we provide expert opinions to enhance WASH infrastructure and practice resilience for better health outcomes in fishing communities.