Turning learning into practice: insights from the Muslim Hands’ Annual WASH Forum

In November 2025, Muslim Hands convened its Annual WASH Forum in Istanbul, Turkey.

This brought together over 50 WASH practitioners, engineers, programme managers, monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEAL) specialists and international partners from 15 countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

The forum provided a vital platform for learning, strategic planning and technical exchange in a humanitarian sector increasingly challenged by climate change, protracted crises and shrinking funding spaces. It created space for critical reflection on what works, what doesn’t and how WASH programmes can remain technically sound, accountable and sustainable in complex and fragile contexts.

From standards on paper to standards in practice

A recurring theme was the gap between international WASH standards and their real-world application. While guidance from WHO and Sphere is well established, participants acknowledged the challenges of applying these consistently in fragile, resource-constrained contexts.

Discussions focused on common operational gaps across programmes: limited or inconsistent water quality monitoring, weak documentation of operation and maintenance procedures and insufficient feedback loops between design, implementation and post-completion monitoring. Participants stressed that standards should not be viewed as donor-driven checklists, but as practical tools for reducing public health risk and improving long-term system performance.

The launch of Muslim Hands’ Global WASH Strategy (2024–2028) and Global Technical WASH Manual during the forum was seen as a step towards clearer organisational benchmarks and shared technical expectations, which will support more consistent quality across countries.

Rethinking water quality assurance

Participants explored practical approaches to sampling, data interpretation and risk-based decision-making, supported by a three-day water-quality testing training programme, aligned with WHO drinking water guidelines. Just as importantly, discussions examined how results are used in practice. Several teams reflected that data is often collected for reporting purposes but not always translated into operational decisions or communicated clearly to communities.

The forum firmly encouraged a shift towards “testing to manage risk, using simple, appropriate tools supported by clear standard operating procedures and routine monitoring commitments.

Sustainability is more than infrastructure

Another key message was that sustainability cannot be reduced to hardware alone. While engineering quality matters, participants repeatedly noted that WASH system failure is more often linked to weak management, unclear ownership and insufficient capacity building.

Sessions on operation and maintenance highlighted the importance of realistic budgeting, spare parts planning, contractor oversight and training local technicians. Evidence from multiple countries showed that modest investments in capacity building and documentation can significantly extend system lifespan and reduce long-term costs.

Climate and energy: adapting WASH for the future

Climate change and energy use were central to discussions about the future of WASH programming. Participants shared how climate variability is already affecting water availability, groundwater reliability and design assumptions across different regions.

Solar pumping, energy efficiency and low-carbon technologies were discussed, not as innovations for their own sake, but as necessary adaptations to rising fuel costs and environmental pressures. Innovation projects presented examples of climate-resilient approaches, such as rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge and integrated water-food-nutrition models. But participants also emphasised that climate-resilient WASH requires more than new technology, it needs better data, longer planning horizons and closer coordination across sectors.

Learning as a collective responsibility

One of the forum’s most valuable outcomes was the emphasis on peer-to-peer learning. Bringing together colleagues from different regions and roles created a safe space to discuss both successes and shortcomings.

This fostered a culture of honesty and collective problem-solving. Technical discussions were complemented by reflections on MEAL systems, donor accountability and internal governance.

These discussions highlighted how delays, quality failures and weak communication can affect trust, workload and organisational credibility. There was general consensus that improving WASH quality cannot be an individual or country-level task, but is a shared responsibility across teams, departments and partners.

What’s next for the WASH sector?

The forum demonstrated the value of stepping back from delivery to focus on how we work, not just what we build.

It concluded with a clear set of priorities:

• Strengthen water quality systems
• Build staff capacity,
• Improve documentation
• Enhance knowledge sharing across countries.

As humanitarian WASH actors face increasing pressure to do more with less, platforms like the Muslim Hands’ Annual WASH Forum offer vital spaces for technical learning, operational improvement and long-term resilience.

By investing in people, systems and shared learning, humanitarian WASH programmes can better ensure that services remain safe, resilient and sustainable, long after construction is complete.