Sphere and sustainability: a matter of time

The Sphere standards have been devised to ensure that people affected by disasters will receive anadequate level of assistance; these standards are used across the world and apply both to natural andcomplex emergencies. The latter tend to be lasting events that often create a displacement of thepopulation and it is argued that in such situations, where prolonged assistance is required, the Spherestandards may be counterproductive. By using examples of water supply interventions, it is highlightedthat in some circumstances the Sphere standards for water quality may only be achieved with systemstoo complex for the displaced population to operate and maintain on their own. The case of two waraffectedareas of Eastern Chad are presented to illustrate the importance of the temporal aspects of theSphere standards in complex emergencies, and raises important questions regarding the long-termsustainability of adopting such standards for displaced populations.