Having access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) is an essential human right that nowadays, billions of people still lack, which increases malnutrition and the risk of waterborne diseases. It is important to highlight that food security is not only about food availability but is also about the utilisation and the need for effective nutrient absorption, which has been jeopardised due to poor WASH conditions, especially in low- and middle-income countries.

In Bolivia, climate change effects and economic instability worsen water management and food security challenges, from droughts to floods, agriculture has been threatened, and therefore, the undernourishment index has increased. This study examines Bolivia’s water policies over the past decade to assess their evolution from rhetorical commitments to measurable integration of WASH and food security. Using frameworks from Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP), United Nations’ High-Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), sixteen national policies and strategies were analysed to understand their alignment with constitutional and international goals, including the SDGs.

Despite the strong link between WASH and food security, Bolivia’s water policies show fragmented policy integration of these elements, with hygiene being the least addressed aspect, with strong political commitment but weak institutional coordination.

Additionally, this study contrasts Bolivia’s water governance with two external cases: Nepal and Jordan–Lebanon to illustrate the impact of how water governance structures can either strengthen public health or expose populations to preventable risks. On one hand, Nepal’s Multi-Sector Nutrition Plan II shows how they successfully reduced child malnutrition and improved hygiene through strong coordination, linking access to safe water to stunting, and tracking budgets across sectors. On the other hand, the Jordan and Lebanon case shows that the risk of rapid wastewater reuse without proper water-quality and food-safety standards can lead to disease outbreaks like hepatitis A and cholera.

This research underscores the necessity of a shift in Bolivia’s water narrative from infrastructure‐centred mindset to real, inclusive, multi-sector governance that integrates WASH and food security in comprehensive planning, looking for the long term to address human health concerns as waterborne diseases in the forthcoming Water Resources Plan (2026-2030).