English
These WASH design guidelines, emergency guidelines and operational guidelines form part of UNHCR’s series of Standardized Tools and Guidelines for Refugee Settings which are the result of an extensive review process with WASH actors who have active programmes supporting refugees. It is recognized that these documents will require continuous review and amendment in response to changes in best-practice and feedback from the field. Therefore further review will be managed by a Technical Committee which will discuss issues related to the use of the forms and an annual update will be reported back to the WASH community. More urgent amendments will be reported as, and when, required.
UNHCR WASH DESIGN GUIDELINES
DG-300/2015a Design guidelines for piped water networks in refugee settings
DG-400/2015a Design guidelines for toilets in refugee settings
UNHCR WASH EMERGENCY GUIDELINES
F-900/2015a Key informant interview / focus group primer questions
F-901/2015a Excreta management infrastructure assessment tool
F-902/2015a WASH rapid assessment forms
UNHCR WASH OPERATIONAL GUIDELINES
OG-800/2015a UNHCR WASH Guidelines on Camps Closure (UNHCR, 2014)
OG-801/2015a WASH Winterization Technical Brief (UNHCR, 2015)
OG-802/2015a Guidelines for Staff Health and Safety in Refugee WASH Programmes (UNHCR, 2015)
UNHCR WASH MANUAL (2015)
The UNHCR WASH Manual (2015) should be used by WASH actors as the main source of general guidelines for WASH interventions in refugee settings. Specific guidelines can be found on the following sections.
| 1.0 WASH PRINCIPLES | WASH Manual Section |
| Guidelines for Saving Lives | 1.3 – 1.6 |
| Guidelines for Safety and Protection of Refugees | 1.10 – 1.13 |
| Guidelines for Physical Safety of WASH Infrastructure | 1.17 |
| Guidelines for Working with WASH Service Providers and Regulatory Authorities | 1.20 – 1.22 |
| Guidelines for Consultation, Participation and Cultural Norms | 1.25 – 1.29 |
| Guidelines for Universal Access and Disability | 1.36 – 1.46 and 1.50 – 1.54 |
| Guidelines for Equitable Access | 1.48 – 1.49 |
| Guidelines for Use of Appropriate Technology and Cost Effectiveness | 1.55 – 1.68 |
| Guidelines for Capacity Building of WASH Stakeholders | 1.71 – 1.75 |
| Guidelines for WASH Infrastructure Quality | 1.76 |
| Guidelines for a Comprehensive Approach to WASH Service Provision | 1.77 – 1.80 |
| Guidelines for WASH in Urban Settings | 1.81 – 1.85 |
| Guidelines for WASH Strategy Documents and Operational Plans | 1.87 – 1.90 |
| Guidelines for Monitoring and Accountability | 1.91 – 1.92 |
| Guidelines for Protection of the Environment | 1.93 – 1.111 |
| 2.0 PUBLIC HEALTH | WASH Manual Section |
| Guidelines for WASH and Public Health | 2.1 – 2.5 |
| Guidelines for WASH Epidemic Preparedness and Response | 2.18 – 2.27 |
| 3.0 WATER SUPPLY | WASH Manual Section |
| Guidelines for Water Quantity | 3.8 – 3.13 |
| Guidelines for Water Quality | 3.14 – 3.16, and 3,98 – 3.101 |
| Guidelines for Chlorination of Water Supplies | 3.91 – 3.95 |
| Guidelines for Water Quality Testing Equipment | 3.108 |
| Guidelines for Water Safety Plans | 3.110 – 3-113 |
| Guidelines for Water Prospection and Evaluation | 3.46 – 3.61 |
| Guidelines for Water Abstraction | 3.62 – 3.84 |
| Guidelines for Water Source Protection | 3.85 – 3.90 |
| Guidelines for Bulk Water Treatment | 3.115 – 3.163 |
| Guidelines for Bulk Water Storage | 3.184 – 3.191 |
| Guidelines for Bulk Water Distribution | 3.192 – 3.210 |
| Guidelines for Household Water Storage | 3.17 – 3.19 |
| Guidelines for Household Water Treatment | 3.164 – 3.183 |
| Guidelines for Water Accessibility and the Burden of Collection | 3.24 – 3.26 |
| Guidelines for Refugee Site Selection | 3.21 and 3.46 |
| Guidelines for Reliability, Backup Supplies and Reserve Capacity | 3.114 |
| Guidelines for Bathing and Laundering Facilities | 1.3 |
| Guidelines for Management and Reuse of Wastewater | 3.205 |
| Guidelines for Water for Livestock, Agriculture and Livelihood Activities | 3.13 |
| 4.0 EXCRETA MANAGEMENT | WASH Manual Section |
| Guidelines for an Environment Free From Human Faeces | 4.6 – 4.9 |
| Guidelines for the Immediate Prevention of Contamination of Water Supplies from Human Excreta | 4.10 – 4.11 |
| Guidelines for the Assessment of Public Health Risks at Every Step in the Excreta Management Chain | 4.23 |
| Guidelines for Transition to Household or Shared Toilets as Quickly as Possible | 4.12 |
| Guidelines for Toilet Coverage Guidance | 4.17 – 4.18 |
| Guidelines for Locating of Communal Toilets | 1.32 |
| Guidelines for Gender Segregation | 4.2 |
| Guidelines for Water for Flushing and Anal Cleansing Materials | 4.142 |
| Guidelines for Excreta Management Technology Selection | 4.24 – 4.27 |
| Guidance for Design Life Spans for Excreta Management Systems | 4.28 |
| Guidelines for Ensuring Toilet Construction Quality | 4.29 |
| Guidelines for Household Toilet Construction | 4.30 – 4.31 |
| Guidelines for Household Toilet Tools and Equipment | 4.15 |
| Guidelines for Host Communities | 4.32 – 4.33 |
| Guidelines for Community Led Total Sanitation in Refugee Settings | 4.34 – 4.35 |
| Guidelines for Excreta Management in Difficult Environments | 4.36 – 4.42 |
| Guidelines for Handwashing Facilities | 4.122 – 4.131 |
| Guidelines for Arrangements for Cleaning and Maintenance | 4.132 – 4.144 |
| Guidelines for Monitoring of Toilet Coverage and Condition | 4.141 |
| Guidelines for Communal Toilets Exit Strategy | 4.145 |
| 5.0 SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT | WASH Manual Section |
| Guidelines for Environment Free From Waste | 5.1 – 5.11 |
| Guidelines for Waste Surveys | 5.25 – 5.31 |
| Guidelines for Waste Storage and Collection Services | 5.10, 5.66 – 5.88 |
| Guidelines for Waste Transportation | 5.89 – 5.113 |
| Guidelines for Waste Disposal | 5.114 – 5.133 |
| Guidelines for Management of Hazardous Domestic Wastes | 5.37 |
| Guidelines for Management of Medical Wastes in Refugee Settings | 5.134 |
| Guidelines for Management of Market Wastes and Abattoirs | 5.42, 5.56, and 5.87 |
| Guidelines for Programmes of Waste Recycling, Reduction and Reuse | 5.42, 5.56, and 5.88 |
| Guidelines for Waste Management in Urban Settings | 5.16, 5.21, 5.69, 5.74, and 5.88 |
| Guidelines for Sanitary Landfills | 5.116 – 5.131 |
| Guidelines for Waste Incineration | 5.132 |
| 6.0 DISEASE VECTOR CONTROL | WASH Manual Section |
| Guidelines for Site Selection to Reduce the Risk of Disease Vectors | 6.7 |
| Guidelines for Essential Disease Vector Control Messages | 6.9 |
| Guidelines for Essential Disease Vector Control Household Items | 6.1 |
| Guidelines for Disease Vector Control Chemical Safety | 6.14 |
| Guidelines for Disease Vector Control Coordination with Local Authorities | 6.15 |
| Guidelines for Control of Mosquitoes | 6.18 – 6.23 |
| Guidelines for Control of Flies | 6.24 – 27 |
| Guidelines for Control of Fleas | 6.28 – 6.32 |
| Guidelines for Control of Lice | 6.33 |
| Guidelines for Control of Mites | 6.34 |
| Guidelines for Control of Rodents | 6.35 – 6.36 |
| 7.0 HYGIENE PROMOTION | WASH Manual Section |
| Guidelines for Coordination of Hygiene Activities Between the Community Health, Nutrition, HIV/AIDS, Education and Community Services Programmes | 7.4 – 7.6 |
| Guidelines for Using Hygiene Promotion as an Effective Method of Community Mobilisation | 7.7 |
| Guidelines for Essential Household Hygiene Related Non-Food Items | 7.10 – 7.16 |
| Guidelines for Immediate Dissemination of Key Hygiene Messages | 7.17 – 7.19 |
| Guidelines for the Assessment of High Risk Groups and High Risk Hygiene Behaviour Practices | 7.2 |
| Guidelines for Ensuring Women’s Menstrual Hygiene Needs are Met | 7.21 – 22 |
| Guidelines for Hygiene Promotion Approaches and Strategies in Refugee Settings | 7.24 – 7.46 |
| Guidelines for Monitoring Hygiene Promotion Programmes and the Use of Hygiene Promotion Strategies | 7.47 |
| 8.0 WASH PROGRAME MANAGEMENT | WASH Manual Section |
| Guidelines for Recruitment and Training of WASH Personnel | 8.4 – 8.5 |
| Guidelines for Procurement of WASH Equipment and Supplies | 8.6 – 8.8 |
| Guidelines for the Assessment of WASH Related Health and Safety Risks | 8.9 – 8.11 |
| Guidelines for the Provision of Personal Protective Equipment and Training | 8.12 – 8.17 |
| Guidelines for WASH Services Provision in Refugee Settings | 8.18 – 8.19 |
| Guidelines for the Organisation of WASH Teams | 8.21 – 8.24 |
| Guidelines for the Capacity Building of WASH Personnel | 8.25 – 8.26 |
| Guidelines for the Operation and Maintenance of WASH Infrastructure | 8.27 – 36 |
| Guidelines for Operation and Maintenance Plans and Strategies | 8.37 |
| 9.0 WASH ASSESSMENTS | WASH Manual Section |
| Guidelines for Coordination of WASH Assessments in Refugee Settings | 9.1 – 9.6 |
| General Principles for WASH Assessments in Refugee Settings | 9.7 – 9.8 |
| Guidelines for WASH Assessment Preparation | 9.14 – 9.16 |
| Guidelines for Assessment Team Composition | 9.17 – 9.19 |
| Guidelines for the Identification of WASH Assessment Locations | 9.22 – 9.24 |
| Guidelines for Key Informant Interviews | 9.26 |
| Guidelines for Focus Groups | 9.27 |
| Guidelines for Observation Walks | 9.28 |
| Guidelines for Assessment of Existing WASH Infrastructure | 9.29 – 9.31 |
| Guidelines for the Assessment of Water Availability | 9.32 |
| Guidelines for Household Surveys | 9.33 – 9.35 |
| Guidelines for the Assessment of Existing WASH Implementation Arrangements | 9.36 |
| Guidelines for Rapid and Comprehensive WASH Assessments | 9.37 |
| Guidelines for the Assessment of Existing WASH Legislation | 9.38 |
| Guidelines for the Institutional Capacity Assessments | 9.39 – 9.41 |
| Guidelines for WASH Analysis and Assessment Reports | 9.43 – 9.47 |
| 10. WASH MONITORING AND REPORTING | WASH Manual Section |
| Guidelines for the Establishment and Routine Monitoring of WASH Indicators | 10.4 – 10.8 |
| Guidelines for Monitoring and Reporting of WASH Programme Efficiency | 10.16 – 10.20 |
| Guidelines for Monitoring of the Effectiveness of WASH Interventions Through the Use of Annual KAP Surveys | 10.13 – 10.14 |
| Practical Guidance for WASH Monitoring | 10.9 – 10.15 |
| Practical Guidance for WASH Reporting | 10.21 – 10.26 |
| 11.0 WASH COORDINATION | WASH Manual Section |
| Guidelines for Immediate Establishment of Sector Coordination Arrangements | 11.1 – 11.8 |
| Guidelines for Establishing Agreed Common WASH Indicators, Standards, and Approaches. | 11.11 – 11.13 |
| Guidelines for the Establishment of WASH Technical Working Groups | 11.15 – 11.16 |
| Guidelines for the Establishment of a WASH Advisory Group | 11.24 |
| Guidelines for Common Analysis of WASH Needs and Gaps At the National, Subnational and Site Levels (Baseline Assessment) | 11.8 – 11.10 |
| Guidelines for Establishment of a Common Sector Tor and Response Plan/Strategy At the National, Sub-National and Site Levels | 11.21 – 11.22 |
| Guidelines for Establishment of Common Monitoring and Reporting | 11.13 |
| Guidelines for Coordinated Sector Preparedness and Contingency Planning | 11.27 – 11.28 |
| Guidelines for the Provision of Dedicated WASH Sector Coordination Resources | 11.25 – 11.26 |
| Guidelines for the Capture and Application of Lessons Learned and Best Practice | 11.29 |
| Guidelines for Monitoring the Quality of Sector Coordination and Performance | 11.3 |