Climate change-induced water insecurity and global health : A focus on women, water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH), and the remaining gaps towards sustainable development

Currently, water insecurity is the most common way through which the majority of the global population is experiencing climate change. Projections show that climate change-induced water disasters- floods and droughts chiefly- are expected to increase in the next decades. These circumstances are and will be creating major challenges for peoples’ health and well-being. In this chapter, we present the state-of-the-art research on climate change-induced water insecurity and its health impacts, highlighting gender as a predictor of risks and vulnerability as it relates to potential negative health outcomes due to climate change. We discuss how improvements in water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH) measures, in particular, are crucial for the improvement of women’s conditions and how such measures can contribute towards tackling the challenges of climate change, while also inching towards the achievement of multiple sustainable development goals.