Podcast Summary: "Can Water Shape Our Future?"

Podcast: Intelligence Squared
Host: Coco Khan
Guests: Helen Rumford (WaterAid's Lead Policy Analyst, Climate Policy & Campaigns) and Vera Klotchin (WaterAid's Climate & Environment Lead)
Date: February 4, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, Coco Khan leads an in-depth discussion on water as humanity's most vital resource and the centrality of climate-resilient water, sanitation, and hygiene systems ("WASH"). The conversation, in partnership with WaterAid, explores why investing in clean water is not just about survival—but about enabling health, development, and equality worldwide. Coco and her guests unpack the complexities of building water-secure futures in an era of climate change, emphasizing systems thinking, policy, local leadership, and the power of hope.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Foundational Role of Water in Modern Life

[02:19] Helen Rumford:

• Water is the foundation of all life and systems—climate regulation, trade, industry, energy, habitats, biodiversity, health.
• It underpins daily tasks: "Name me anything, Coco, and I could tell you how it relies on water."
• Health impact: Diseases like diarrhea (from unsafe water and toilets) kill a child every two minutes.
• Despite its centrality, 1 in 10 people lacks easy access to water.

[03:11] Coco Khan:

• Water, like air, is often invisible in privileged settings, assumed but seldom considered.

Climate Change as a Water Crisis

[03:46] Vera Klotchin:

• "The climate crisis is in fact a water crisis."
• Climate impacts like droughts, floods, sea level rise, and glacial melt disrupt the water cycle and human lives.
• Vera shares her experience from Kenya, where drought caused a municipal water system to utterly fail: "By the time disaster response plans were approved, there was no more drop of water. Hospitals, schools, businesses, anyone was without water."
• Lesson: Climate resilience must be planned from the very start.

System Complexity, Accountability & Policy Gaps

[05:46] Helen Rumford:

• Water responsibilities are fragmented—several sectors (agriculture, industry, health, households) act separately, often missing holistic solutions.
• True resilience requires building systems where diverse players coordinate, anticipating both drought and flood:
  • "Once you've got those systems in place... you've got that kind of flexibility built in." [06:46]

[07:23] Vera Klotchin:

• Diagnosing water access is multi-faceted: infrastructure, ecosystem health, local capacity, policy, funding, accountability—a web of interdependencies.
• "To do this, we need to make the system very strong to ensure it is flowing." [08:24]

Public Perception: Shiny Innovations vs. Unseen Essentials

[09:03] Helen Rumford:

• Governments and stakeholders are often drawn to high-tech or "glamorous" solutions (like AI), overlooking the foundational need for resilient water systems—even as those very innovations rely on water.
• Water can be "glamorous" too—everything depends on it.

Local Knowledge and Community-Led Solutions

[10:54] Vera Klotchin (Ghana Case Study):

• Climate resilience at community level: Access is not enough—services must persist through climate hazards.
• WaterAid’s approach: "Climate Resilient WASH Financing Mechanism" allows the community to drive decisions; this fosters ownership and real solutions.
• Initially, communities struggled with proposal-writing; so WaterAid used videos, pictures, and co-creative methods for planning.

Notable Quote:

• "In the beginning, the communities had so many ideas... but not the support that we usually bring to build infrastructure. It was support in trying to identify the best solution for the climate change impact in future." [12:08] Vera Klotchin

Policy Challenges and Climate Justice

[14:49] Helen Rumford:

• Water’s universality means it often falls into a policy “gap.”
• Solutions must:
  • Center water in policy discussions (not in silos).
  • Incorporate community leadership ("they know a lot of what is needed").
  • Secure finance: "We do know what needs to happen, we know what works. But if there's no money, it just can't happen."
• Efforts must work at multiple levels: local (behavior, culture), basin/ecosystem, regional, international.

[17:30] Helen Rumford (On Climate Injustice):

• Sometimes well-meaning water projects worsen inequities if powerful users siphon benefits away from marginalized communities downstream or in adjacent sectors (e.g., hospitals or rural areas).
• "What you will see is often it is the people who are least listened to... They're the ones that get not listened to."
• WaterAid focuses on advocating with and for these communities.

Economic and Social Impact of Investment

[18:32] Coco Khan:

• UN estimates every $1 invested in water and sanitation returns $4 in health and productivity.
• Innovating in clean water and hygiene is key to future health and equality.

The Path Forward: Rethinking Water Systems

[19:28] Vera Klotchin:

Three Adaptation Goals for Climate-Resilient WASH:

1. Resilient Infrastructure: Built to withstand floods, drought, and extreme weather (e.g., pipes and storage that survive disasters).
2. Dynamic Service Management: Systems that anticipate and react to emergencies through flexible plans (e.g., prioritizing water for surgeries during shortages).
3. Healthy Ecosystems: Protecting nature (catchment areas, groundwater recharge points) ensures continued supply.

• "We need all three together to... persist when climate hazard hits." [22:32]

Nature-Based Solutions

[23:04] Vera Klotchin:

• Preserving ecosystems and extracting water aren't opposites—they work together.
• "If you work with nature, you protect the long-term water supply... this dream team of protecting for long and supplying right now is really key."

Envisioning a Water-Secure, Just Future

[25:01] Helen Rumford:

• If water were universally recognized as non-negotiable:
  • “A world where everyone, everywhere is thriving.”
  • Preventable diseases and maternal deaths would plummet.
  • Economic and social prosperity would rise—”two-thirds of jobs globally rely on clean water... for low-income countries, it’s 80%.”
  • Children would remain in school, not wasting hours gathering unsafe water.

[26:16] Helen Rumford on Hope and Progress:

• Her optimism is grounded in past progress (2.4 billion gained water since 2000), evidence that “there is enough water for everyone.”
• “You have to hold hand in hand both hope and anger.”
• Stories of young global advocates and persistent frontline communities inspire hope.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "The climate crisis is in fact a water crisis."
  — Vera Klotchin [03:46]

• "Once you've got those systems in place... that flexibility means as it changes... they know how to collectively identify the solutions."
  — Helen Rumford [06:46]

• "It’s really lazy and it’s really frustrating to say we don’t know what to do, because actually people do know what to do. They’re just not being listened to."
  — Helen Rumford [14:49]

• "We need all three together [infrastructure, management, ecosystem] to add on our already sustainable approach to make sure it can persist when climate hazard hits."
  — Vera Klotchin [22:32]

• "If you work with nature, you protect the long-term water supply... this dream team... is really key."
  — Vera Klotchin [23:04]

• "A world where everyone, everywhere is thriving... And we know there is enough water for everyone on earth. So it is just a question of ensuring everyone has access to it."
  — Helen Rumford [25:01, 26:16]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:19] Importance of water in modern life
• [03:46] Climate change as a water crisis—Kenya case study
• [05:46] Policy and sector responsibility challenges
• [09:03] Public perception and political priorities
• [10:54] Local leadership in climate-resilient water (Ghana example)
• [14:49] Policy solutions and climate justice
• [18:32] Economic case for investment
• [19:28] Three goals for resilient water systems
• [23:04] Nature-based solutions
• [25:01] Vision for a water-secure future and hope for progress

Summary & Closing Thoughts

This episode underscores that water is not just a necessity—it is the cornerstone of health, development, equality, and climate resilience. The most effective solutions come from a blend of robust systems, inclusive policies, empowered local knowledge, and working with (not against) nature. Both Helen and Vera stress the urgency but maintain optimism: investing in water creates exponential returns and real progress is possible—if the world chooses to make water security non-negotiable.

Final message:
"Investing in clean water benefits everyone. It's a reminder that water is not just a resource, but a responsibility."
— Coco Khan [28:17]

For more information or to support WaterAid’s mission to create a water-secure, fairer future, listeners are encouraged to visit WaterAid and consider contributing.