COVID-19 and informal settlements – implications for water, sanitation and health in India and Indonesia
Author(s): Priti Parikh , Yasmin Bou Karim, Jacob Paulose, Pam Factor-Litvak, Emily Nix, Dewi Nur Aisyah, Hemant Chaturvedi, Logan Manikam, Monica Lakhanpaul
Informal settlements are home to over 1 billion people worldwide and are characterised by high population densities and poor environmental conditions. The authors identify the impact of COVID-19 on existing water and sanitation practices and potential pathways for the transmission of COVID-19 in informal settlements in India and Indonesia. In the short term, there is an urgent need for mobile and contactless hand washing, washing/bathing facilities and toilets. In the long term, COVID-19 provides an opportunity to invest in centralised water and sanitation networked solutions appropriate for high-density settings to integrate those settlements into cities and improve environmental conditions and health in these cities.
Language: English
