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Focus Areas

Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH)

Credit: USAID ISSP

Working with countries to increase access to improved water supply, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services

Availability of and access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene is critical to advancing human health, stability, and economic development. RTI’s experience is that increased and equitable access to safely managed WASH services transforms entire communities—leading to better, fuller, and healthier lives. This is especially true for vulnerable populations, including women and girls, who benefit most from access to improved WASH services.

As both a nonprofit global research institute and a leading international development organization, RTI combines these powerful capabilities with those of our partners to co-create smart, shared solutions for a more prosperous, equitable and resilient world.

Leveraging multidisciplinary expertise to improve WASH services

We invest in self-funded research and development and leverage scientific expertise from a range of disciplines within RTI — from engineering, environmental, and energy sciences to climate change, food security, global health, and waste management — and integrate our knowledge in these disciplines into our technical approaches to achieve more effective and sustainable results.

As part of our commitment to improving the human condition, we prioritize local ownership by investing in local staff and partners. Our inclusive approach has helped RTI develop a vast network of local partners and key stakeholders to develop solutions and ensure sustainable impacts.

Our Approach

At RTI, we recognize that water insecurity and inadequate access to WASH services are among the world’s greatest threats and can play a critical role in jeopardizing numerous development objectives. To mitigate this, we work alongside key sector stakeholders to develop collaborative solutions to shared problems.  

Our WASH work aims to:

  • Increase equitable access to safe, sustainable, and effectively managed climate-resilient WASH services.
  • Strengthen water sector governance, finance, institutions, and markets.
  • Improve conservation and management of water resources.
  • Reduce the potential for water-related conflict.

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