Format: Live instructor-led online training via Zoom / Microsoft Teams

WASH in Emergencies Training Course

Course Overview

The WASH in Emergencies Training Course equips humanitarian professionals, government agencies, NGOs, UN organizations, disaster response teams, WASH specialists, engineers, public health officers, emergency coordinators, and development practitioners with the technical knowledge and practical skills required to design, implement, coordinate, monitor, and evaluate effective Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) interventions during humanitarian emergencies. Increasing conflicts, natural disasters, disease outbreaks, climate change, floods, droughts, forced displacement, and public health crises have intensified the demand for timely, equitable, and life-saving WASH services. This comprehensive course provides participants with practical competencies in emergency water supply, sanitation systems, hygiene promotion, infection prevention and control (IPC), public health protection, WASH coordination, emergency preparedness, disaster risk reduction, climate-resilient WASH systems, and humanitarian response planning.

Participants will gain practical experience in conducting rapid WASH needs assessments, emergency water treatment, water quality monitoring, sanitation facility design, hygiene behavior change communication, outbreak prevention, solid waste management, faecal sludge management, WASH cluster coordination, monitoring and evaluation, accountability to affected populations (AAP), community engagement, and integrated humanitarian programming. The course also introduces innovative technologies including Artificial Intelligence (AI), Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Remote Sensing, drone technology, Internet of Things (IoT) water quality sensors, KoboToolbox, Open Data Kit (ODK), mobile data collection, cloud-based dashboards, predictive analytics, and digital monitoring systems to improve evidence-based decision-making and operational efficiency during emergency responses.

The training aligns with internationally recognized humanitarian frameworks including the Sphere Humanitarian Standards, Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS), WHO WASH Guidelines, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), UNICEF Emergency WASH Standards, Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP), and humanitarian cluster coordination mechanisms. Through practical simulations, emergency response exercises, GIS mapping, WASH planning workshops, digital assessments, and real-world humanitarian case studies, participants develop competencies required to deliver effective, inclusive, and sustainable WASH interventions.

Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be able to plan emergency WASH responses, conduct rapid assessments, establish safe water supply systems, implement sanitation and hygiene interventions, strengthen disease prevention strategies, utilize digital technologies for monitoring, coordinate multi-sector humanitarian responses, monitor programme performance, and build resilient WASH systems that protect vulnerable populations during emergencies while promoting long-term public health and sustainable development.

Course Objectives

1. Understand humanitarian WASH principles and international standards.
2. Conduct comprehensive emergency WASH needs assessments.
3. Design emergency water supply and sanitation interventions.
4. Strengthen hygiene promotion and disease prevention strategies.
5. Apply digital technologies in WASH monitoring and management.
6. Improve emergency preparedness and rapid response planning.
7. Enhance WASH coordination within humanitarian operations.
8. Develop effective monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning systems.
9. Promote climate-resilient and sustainable WASH programming.
10. Build institutional and community capacity for emergency WASH response.

Organization Benefits

1. Strengthens organizational emergency WASH preparedness.
2. Improves emergency response coordination and efficiency.
3. Enhances compliance with international humanitarian standards.
4. Reduces risks of waterborne disease outbreaks.
5. Strengthens evidence-based planning and decision-making.
6. Improves monitoring, reporting, and programme accountability.
7. Enhances community resilience and public health outcomes.
8. Promotes efficient resource utilization during emergencies.
9. Supports climate-resilient WASH infrastructure development.
10. Builds sustainable institutional capacity for humanitarian operations.

Target Participants

This course is designed for WASH specialists, humanitarian programme managers, public health officers, environmental health practitioners, civil engineers, water engineers, sanitation specialists, hygiene promotion officers, emergency coordinators, disaster risk management professionals, NGO staff, UN agency personnel, government officials, community development officers, monitoring and evaluation specialists, GIS analysts, epidemiologists, health workers, emergency response teams, consultants, researchers, donor representatives, project managers, and professionals involved in humanitarian assistance, disaster management, public health, water resources, sanitation, and community resilience.

Course Outline

Module 1: Foundations of WASH in Emergencies

• Humanitarian WASH principles and standards
• Sphere Standards and CHS
• WASH Cluster coordination mechanisms
• Public health in emergencies
• Emergency preparedness planning
• WASH programme cycle management

General Case Study: Developing a coordinated WASH emergency response plan following widespread flooding affecting multiple communities with damaged water infrastructure and sanitation systems.

Module 2: Emergency Water Supply and Water Quality Management

• Emergency water source identification
• Water treatment technologies
• Water storage and distribution
• Water quality monitoring
• Household water treatment
• Operation and maintenance of emergency water systems

General Case Study: Designing an emergency water supply system for displaced populations while ensuring adequate water quantity, quality, accessibility, and equitable distribution.

Module 3: Emergency Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion

• Emergency sanitation facility design
• Excreta disposal systems
• Solid waste management
• Hygiene promotion strategies
• Behaviour change communication
• Infection prevention and control (IPC)

General Case Study: Implementing sanitation and hygiene promotion interventions to reduce cholera transmission in overcrowded emergency settlements through community participation and public health education.

Module 4: Digital Technologies for Emergency WASH

• Artificial Intelligence for WASH planning
• GIS mapping for WASH infrastructure
• Remote sensing applications
• Drone technology for damage assessment
• Mobile data collection using KoboToolbox and ODK
• Cloud-based WASH monitoring dashboards

General Case Study: Establishing a digital WASH monitoring system using AI, GIS, drones, remote sensing, IoT sensors, KoboToolbox, ODK, and cloud analytics to support emergency response coordination and real-time decision-making.

Module 5: Monitoring, Evaluation and Accountability

• WASH monitoring indicators
• Monitoring and evaluation frameworks
• Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP)
• Community feedback mechanisms
• Programme reporting
• Adaptive management and learning

General Case Study: Developing a comprehensive MEAL framework to monitor emergency water supply, sanitation facilities, hygiene promotion effectiveness, disease prevention, community satisfaction, and programme performance.

Module 6: Sustainable and Climate-Resilient Emergency WASH Programming

• Climate-resilient WASH infrastructure
• Disaster risk reduction strategies
• Integrated water resource management
• Community resilience building
• Sustainability planning
• Institutional strengthening and innovation

General Case Study: Designing a long-term WASH resilience programme integrating climate adaptation, sustainable water management, emergency preparedness, AI-enabled monitoring, GIS mapping, digital information systems, community participation, and multi-sector coordination to strengthen humanitarian response and recovery.

General Information

1. Customized Training: All our courses can be tailored to meet the specific needs of participants.
2. Language Proficiency: Participants should have a good command of the English language.
3. Comprehensive Learning: Our training includes well-structured presentations, practical exercises, web-based tutorials, and collaborative group work. Our facilitators are seasoned experts with over a decade of experience.
4. Certification: Upon successful completion of training, participants will receive a certificate from Foscore Development Center (FDC-K).
5. Training Locations: Training sessions are conducted at Foscore Development Center (FDC-K) centers. We also offer options for in-house and online training, customized to the client's schedule.
6. Flexible Duration: Course durations are adaptable, and content can be adjusted to fit the required number of days.
7. Onsite Training Inclusions: The course fee for onsite training covers facilitation, training materials, two coffee breaks, a buffet lunch, and a Certificate of Successful Completion. Participants are responsible for their travel expenses, airport transfers, visa applications, dinners, health/accident insurance, and personal expenses.
8. Additional Services: Accommodation, pickup services, freight booking, and visa processing arrangements are available upon request at discounted rates.
9. Equipment: Tablets and laptops can be provided to participants at an additional cost.
10. Post-Training Support: We offer one year of free consultation and coaching after the course.
11. Group Discounts: Register as a group of more than two and enjoy a discount ranging from 10% to 50%.
12. Payment Terms: Payment should be made before the commencement of the training or as mutually agreed upon, to the Foscore Development Center account. This ensures better preparation for your training.
13. Contact Us: For any inquiries, please reach out to us at training@fdc-k.org or call us at +254712260031.
14. Website: Visit www.fdc-k.org for more information.