World Toilet Day

Advertisement

About the world toilet day

World Toilet Day observed internationally on 19^th November, is a day that aims to create awareness and inspire action to deal with the often-neglected global sanitation crisis. World Toilet Day's theme this year is "wastewater" and it is intentionally linked to the theme of World Water Day 2017 - "why waste water"?. The whole idea behind this year's theme is wastewater, and it's environmental pollution. Today, around 80 percent of our wastewater, chokes the environment and results in polluting nature.

United Nations general assembly officially first commissioned 19^th November as World Toilet Day in 2013, and in 2015 the sustainable development goals committee set a target of ensuring safely managed household toilets by 2030.

For this goal to be achieved, we may need to take some action or at least create awareness about human waste management and how it should be contained, transported, treated and disposed off in a safe and sustainable manner.

This day is an international observance day, to raise awareness about people who do not have access to toilets, despite the basic right to water and sanitation promoted by the government.

It is time we take action and do something about the tabooed issue.

Advertisement

What steps can be taken to make sanitation, a reality for all on World Toilet Day?

Become a toilet advocate

• Does your area or town need more public toilets?
• Are the public toilets safe and accessible?
• Are there a fair ratio of toilets for both men and women?
• Contact your local representative, community leader or Member of Parliament and to complain or suggest improvements about public toilets in your area.

Share

Annually around 360,000 children under the age of five die due to diarrhea. Even though these deaths are preventable, many times, measuresare not taken to improve the situation because, however what we don’t discuss, we can’t improve.

Now, you can join the global movement which promotes toilet hygeine and sanitation. Post pictures or talk about the ill effects of this social menace on Facebook, Instagram, Google+, or Twitter this World Toilet Day.

Advertisement

Facts about the current sanitation crisis

• Among the 4.5 billion people who do not practice safe sanitation methods, there are around 2.3 billion people still suffering from the lack of access to toilets
• Now-a-days, around 600 million and 892 million people have to either share toilets or openly defecate due to the lack of toilets
• More than 360,000 children under the age of five die annually of diarrhea. Infants and children are some of the most venerable group of people in this global sanitation crisis
• At present, we are facing cholera, and acute watery diarrhea outbreaks in Yemen and the Horn of Africa, with a total of 750,000 people affected already
• According to the 2014 world national bank report, the world suffered around $260 billion inadequate water supply and poor sanitation associated economic losses.
• Around 61% of the global population do not use proper sanitation services, that means that waste such as feces is not safely disposed off-site.
• Presently around 80 percent of our wastewater flows back into the natural environment, polluting the existing environment and wasting valuable nutrients and other recoverable materials.
• Closing the sanitation gap through pit toilets can raise India’s annual greenhouse gas emissions.
• Lack of toilets has led to sexual violence against women and girls who are attacked when they leave the house to defecate.
• Lack of toilet facilities in school has made girls more inclined to drop out of school when they puberty.

References:

1. World toilet day - (http://www.greeningtheblue.org/event/world-toilet-day)
2. World Toilet Day – no laughing matter - (https://www.un.org/development/desa/undesavoice/expert-voices/2017/11#36610)
3. Sanitation Economy - (http://www.toiletboard.org/media/30-Sanitation_Economy_Final.pdf)

Source-Medindia