Challenges persist despite WASH gains

The Philippines has improved rural water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure, but health outcomes and environmental security still lag, the Manila-based Asian Development Bank (ADB) said in its Asian Water Development Outlook (AWDO) 2025 report.

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Speaking at a virtual media briefing last week, ADB principal urban development specialist Vivek Raman, a lead author of the AWDO 2025 report, noted that in the Philippines, the “health score needs to catch up” despite improvements in WASH.

“It’s not about the volume of water that you have, but how smart and how well you’re managing that,” he said, noting that “there are some countries that may be water abundant, but not managing it as well.”