How we work
GLAAS provides policy- and decision-makers at all levels with reliable, easily accessible, comprehensive data on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) systems, including on governance, monitoring, human resources and finance. GLAAS monitors elements of WASH systems that are required to sustain and extend WASH services and systems to all, and especially to the most vulnerable population groups.
GLAAS country and external support agency surveys
The main objective of GLAAS is to monitor components of WASH systems, including governance, monitoring, finance and human resources necessary to sustain and extend WASH services to all, and especially to the most vulnerable population groups. GLAAS collects information on WASH systems directly from national* governments, and external support agencies (ESAs) through country/territory and ESA surveys. Since 2008, GLAAS cycles have taken place every two to three years.
GLAAS complements and informs other efforts across the WASH sector including the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (JMP) and the Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) partnership. The JMP provides internationally comparable estimates of progress on drinking-water, sanitation and hygiene at the local, regional and global levels, and GLAAS helps to provide context for these estimates.
WASH accounts
WASH accounts provide a systematic description of financial flows in the WASH sector. WASH accounts show all expenditures for WASH in a country for specific years and aim to answer four key questions:
- What is the total expenditure in the WASH sector?
- What are funds being spent on?
- Who pays for WASH services and how much do they pay?
- Who are the main WASH service providers and how much are they spending?
The TrackFin methodology, developed by WHO, is used to develop WASH accounts through the collection and mapping of WASH financial flows in a comprehensive and comparable manner. The process is aided by the WASH accounts production tool (WAPT), which is a software tool to support the collection, classification and analysis of WASH spending data.
Monitoring the SDG 6 means of implementation
WHO, through GLAAS, is a co-custodian, along with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), for monitoring SDG Targets 6.a and 6.b on the means of implementation, which are:
- Target 6.a: By 2030, expand international cooperation and capacity-building support to developing countries in water- and sanitation-related activities and programmes, including water harvesting, desalination, water efficiency, wastewater treatment, recycling and reuse technologies.
- Target 6.b: Support and strengthen the participation of local communities in improving water and sanitation management.
For more information on monitoring SDG 6, see the UN-Water SDG 6 data portal.
For more information, please see the GLAAS and WASH accounts webpages. For questions, please contact glaas@who.int.
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* The term “national” should be understood to refer to countries, territories and areas and does not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of WHO concerning the legal status of any country, territory or area.