Fueled by research that hand-washing is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19 , sales of soap have skyrocketed in recent months . But for the one in three people around the world who do not have access to clean water , this simple step in disease prevention isn’t so simple. Rural populations disproportionately lack effective water , sanitation and hygiene services — known collectively as WASH — due in large part to a lack of infrastructure, high costs and weak governance. Meanwhile, climate change, pollution and development are diminishing freshwater sources and ecosystems at a rapid rate, compounding the problem. Conservation News spoke with the director of Conservation International’s WASH in Watersheds program , Colleen Sorto, about how when it comes to water and human health, where your water comes from can be just as important as how you use it. Question: How big of a role does WASH truly play in preventing the spread of disease?…