Antimicrobial Resistance in Water Systems

This policy brief is intended for decision makers across the water, health, and humanitarian sectors, with particular emphasis on actors operating in fragile and conflict‑affected settings (FCAS). Where state authority is functional, national authorities hold primary responsibility for ensuring safe water infrastructure, regulating antimicrobial use, and integrating One Health principles across human, animal, and environmental systems. In FCAS where governance is fragmented, weakened, or collapsed, humanitarian actors including UN agencies, international NGOs, and technical partners often assume operational leadership or work alongside weakened public institutions to deliver WASH and health interventions. Although these actors are not regulatory authorities, their programmes directly influence WASH service safety and related transmission pathways. They therefore play a critical role in mitigating AMR risks even when state systems are absent or severely weakened. This brief encourages context-sensitive action and acknowledges that accountability, legal obligations, and coordination mechanisms shift significantly along the continuum from functioning systems to humanitarian emergencies. By focusing on cross‑sectoral interfaces and the institutional realities of FCAS, the brief aims to support more effective, equitable, and realistic approaches.

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