ABSTRACT
Globally, urbanisation and climate change present critical challenges for urban sanitation systems, particularly in balancing the need for equitable and resilient infrastructure. The growing demands of expanding cities and climate-related stressors, such as extreme weather and rising sea levels, exacerbate existing inequalities and threaten progress towards universal access to safe sanitation. In high-income countries, outdated infrastructure requires costly retrofitting to meet evolving urban and climatic conditions, while low-income countries face the dual challenge of adapting infrastructure and providing access to underserved populations. The sociopolitical landscape, influenced by historical investment decisions and colonial legacies, further complicates equitable service provision.
Financing climate-adaptive sanitation is fraught with challenges, including the risk of excluding vulnerable populations from prioritised investments and the unequal distribution of financial burdens. Existing financing mechanisms often favour large-scale, centralised solutions that overlook the complexities of fragmented sanitation systems, leaving marginalised communities at risk. The chapter concludes that without a deliberate focus on equitable sanitation service provision, cities may inadvertently exacerbate existing inequalities while addressing the pressing demands of climate adaptation. This oversight could undermine the broader goals of sustainable urban development and equitable access to essential sanitation services. By contrast, prioritising transformative equitable climate-adaptive sanitation systems can advance cities towards more inclusive and resilient urban climate futures.
