Humanitarian Academy

Water, sanitation, hygiene

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in Emergencies

Safe water, dignified latrines, hygiene and cholera response: the standards and actions that save lives.

  • 3 days · 18 hours
  • 3 levels · 3 certificates
  • 3 scenarios
  • Verifiable certificate
Start the course
  • Free, unlimited access
  • 3 one-day modules
  • 3 scenarios and 9 quiz questions
  • 3 graded case studies and 3 exams
  • Certificate in your name, verifiable online

What you will learn

  • Plan emergency water supply: quantity, access, treatment and quality control.
  • Design safe and dignified sanitation: latrines, faecal sludge and waste management, drainage.
  • Conduct behaviour-based hygiene promotion and contribute to the cholera response.

Course information

Level
Beginner → Intermediate → Advanced (one certificate per level)
Study time
18 hours over 3 days (lessons, case studies, exercises)
Format
Online, at your own pace, free and unlimited access
Assessment
Per level: graded case study + 20-question exam (30 to 40 min, pass marks 70%, 75% and 80%)
Credential
Named, numbered certificate of achievement, verifiable online (QR code)
Reference frameworks
Sphere Association · WHO · Eawag / GWC

💼 Water, sanitation, hygiene jobs

Put this course into practice: the latest jobs in this field.

See all 51 Water, sanitation, hygiene jobs →

Prepare for the written test and interviewA model written test in this field, interview questions with sample answers and the STAR method.See the model test →

A 3-level certification pathway

Progress from Beginner to Advanced. Each level ends with a graded case study and a timed exam, and leads to its own verifiable certificate.

Level 1Beginner

Exam: 20 questions · 30 min · 70% to pass

Beginner certificate

By the end of this level, you will be able to:
  • Know the Sphere standards for water, sanitation and hygiene.
  • Explain the transmission routes of water-related diseases.
  • Describe the basic options for water supply and latrines.
  1. Day1Water supplyWhy WASH saves lives · Quantity and access: the Sphere benchmarks · Water supply options · Treating water and monitoring its quality · Assessing and planning water supply: a method from the first 72 hours to the first 3 months · Chlorination and water treatment: calculations, protocols and monitoring · Worked example: water supply for the Kalimbé site, from the first week to the third month · Reusable tools and templates · Common mistakes and what donors, evaluators and auditors look at · Adapting water supply to different contexts · Interview questions and key references Scenario: A new camp of 8,000 people
  2. Graded case study : A new displacement site Spontaneous site on the edge of a town · 20 questions including a case study · 70% to pass
Level 2Intermediate

Exam: 20 questions · 30 min · 75% to pass

Intermediate certificate · Opens after the Beginner certificate

By the end of this level, you will be able to:
  • Size a response (litres per person, latrine ratios, water points).
  • Organise water treatment and quality control (residual chlorine).
  • Carry out hygiene promotion with the community.
  1. Day2SanitationLatrines: the benchmarks · Faecal sludge and solid waste · Drainage and vector control · Choosing and sizing excreta disposal: criteria, phases and calculations · The faecal sludge management chain: emptying, transport, treatment and worker safety · Worked example: the twelve-month sanitation plan for the Kalimbé site · Solid waste, healthcare waste, drainage and vector control: the operational method · Reusable tools and templates · Common mistakes, donor expectations and adapting to contexts · Interview questions and key references Scenario: Unused latrines
  2. Graded case study : Water quality and hygiene promotion Refugee camp, month 3 · 20 questions including a case study · 75% to pass
Level 3Advanced

Exam: 20 questions · 40 min · 80% to pass

Advanced certificate · Opens after the Intermediate certificate

By the end of this level, you will be able to:
  • Plan a cholera response (CATI, oral rehydration points, disinfection).
  • Design a sustainable sanitation solution for a protracted camp.
  • Coordinate WASH and health, and track performance with indicators.
  1. Day3Hygiene promotion and cholera responsePromoting hygiene · Hygiene items · The cholera response · Designing behaviour-centred hygiene promotion: the complete method · Measuring hygiene practices and managing hygiene items · The WASH cholera response: organisation, facilities and protocols · Worked example: four weeks of response in the town of Mabéla · Reusable tools and templates · Common mistakes, donor expectations and adapting to contexts · Interview questions and key references Scenario: Cholera alert
  2. Graded case study : Cholera response Town of 300,000 people · 20 questions including a case study · 80% to pass

Who is it for?

WASH officers and technicians, hygiene promoters, multi-sector project managers, health and nutrition staff, and candidates aiming for a first WASH position.

The certificate

With at least 70% correct answers in the final assessment, you receive a certificate in your name, with a unique code that recruiters can verify on Humanitaires Jobs. A free Humanitarian Network account is required.

Key concepts

The vocabulary you need to master for this course and the exam.

Free residual chlorine
Chlorine remaining in the water after treatment, which protects against recontamination.
Turbidity
Cloudiness of water caused by particles, which reduces the effectiveness of chlorine.
Hygiene promotion
An approach that addresses risky behaviours together with communities.
Faecal sludge management
Safe collection, transport and treatment of pit contents.
Household water treatment
Treatment of water at household level (filter, chlorine, boiling).
Menstrual hygiene
Access to products, privacy, washing facilities and disposal.
Water trucking
Emergency water supply by tanker truck.
Cholera
An acute diarrhoeal infection linked to water and sanitation, with epidemic potential.

References and recommended reading

The official texts and sector reference works on which the course is based.

  1. Sphere Association (2018). The Sphere Handbook: Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Humanitarian Response. spherestandards.org/fr/manuel-2018
  2. WHO (2022). Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality (4th edition). www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240045064
  3. Eawag / GWC (2018). Compendium of Sanitation Technologies in Emergencies. www.eawag.ch
  4. Global WASH Cluster (UNICEF) (2024). Global WASH Cluster resources. washcluster.net