Rural Water Security in Asia and the Pacific: New Insights from AWDO 2025

The Asian Development Bank launched the fifth edition of its flagship report, the Asian Water and Development Outlook (AWDO) in December 2025. Speakers Professor Katrina Charles, Dr Sonia Hoque and Irina Gribanenkova led on the analysis of Key Dimension 1 (KD1) on Rural Household Water Security in the report.

Updating earlier AWDO methods to reflect a shift in global WASH thinking, this seminar will describe how their analysis extends beyond access to infrastructure to also incorporate quality, reliability and resilience of water, sanitation and hygiene services, interrogating health data to assess whether these services actually reduce disease burden.

The team will present their findings and highlight their implications for governments, donors and implementing organisations – what should be prioritised over the next decade to transform rural WASH services and fill the gaps that have been identified?

Katrina Charles is Professor of Environmental Health Risks Professor Charles’ research focuses on how to advance drinking water safety for all, particularly in low resource environments, and addressing the additional challenges faced by climate change.

Dr Sonia Hoque is Senior Research Associate in Water Security and Society. As an environmental social scientist, Sonia’s research focuses on drivers and distribution of water risks and socio-spatial inequalities in Asia and Africa. Her recent book, The Water Diaries (2025), combines empirical fieldwork with methodological innovation to examine the lived experiences of the global water crisis in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Bangladesh.

Irina Gribanenkova has held consultancy and research roles with ADB, The World Bank, Global Water Partnership, and the Stockholm Environment Institute, with a focus on water governance, climate finance, integrated water resources management, and translating research into policy-relevant insights. She completed her MSc in Water Science, Policy and Management from the University of Oxford in 2023.

This event is part of the Oxford Water Network Hilary Term 2026 Seminar Series. Refreshments will be provided after the talk. Please email [email protected] if you have any specific requirements to be able to access this event. The Atmosphere Room is on the first floor of the School of Geography and the Environment in the Dyson Perrins Building - there is a ramp to enter the building and a lift to access the first floor.

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