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World Toilet Day is commemorated on 19 November and aims to tackle a very important issue; the lack of safe and sustainable sanitation for more than half the world’s population.
Sustainable sanitation and climate change
It is said that climate change is getting worse.
Flood, drought and rising sea levels are threatening sanitation systems – from toilets to septic tanks to treatment plants. That’s why this year’s World Toilet Day theme is all about sustainable sanitation and climate change.
According to World Toilet Day’s official website, everyone must have sustainable sanitation that can withstand climate change and keep communities healthy and functioning. Sustainable sanitation systems also reuse waste to safely boost agriculture and reduce and capture emissions for greener energy.
More about World Toilet Day:
World Toilet Day was established by the World Toilet Organization in 2001 and was made an official United Nations day in 2013. UN-Water ultimately leads a task force of international agencies to campaign around a common theme.
The 4.2 billion people in the world living without safely managed sanitation services often face many forms of discrimination. They can be left behind as they try to access and manage sanitation services or improve their current facilities.
Sustainable Development Goal 6 has a target to eliminate open defecation and ensure everyone has access to sustainable sanitation services by 2030, “paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations”.
World Toilet Day 2019 is drawing attention to those people being left behind without sanitation and the social, economic and environmental consequences of inaction.
A toilet is not just a toilet. It’s a life-saver, dignity-protector, and opportunity-maker.
World Toilet Day’s official website reports that we must expand access to safe toilets and leave no one behind.
“Because whoever you are, wherever you are, sanitation is your human right.”