RISE is a transdisciplinary research program working at the intersections of health, environment, and water and sanitation. RISE is trialling a new water-sensitive approach to water and sanitation management in 24 informal settlements across Makassar, Indonesia and Suva, Fiji. Working with communities, governments, local leaders and partner institutions, RISE is co-designing location-specific solutions that integrate green infrastructure, such as constructed wetlands, to strengthen the whole-of-life water and sanitation cycle. Underpinned by the emerging discipline of ‘planetary health’, RISE success will be measured by the health and well-being of residents – particularly children under five years of age – and the ecological diversity of the surrounding environment.