World Toilet Day 2020

World Toilet Day 2020 - Sustainable Sanitation and Climate Change

Today AquaFed and its Members join the global water and wastewater community in calling attention to "World Toilet Day".

AquaFed has worked for many years with many governments and international stakeholders in the promotion of sanitation and dignity for all as a fundamental stand-alone human right. The work of our member operators and colleagues on the ground is the safe delivery of the right to sanitation as the core of their day-to-day jobs. Millions of people benefit from the public-private partnerships that governments execute throughout the world. The Federation works closely with the UN members and Partners of UN-Water and play a leading role in the Sanitation and Water for All Alliance.

Today it is important to highlight the global health and development crisis faced by 4,2 Billion people who do not have their human right to sanitation delivered and provided in a safe and proper way.

Open defecation, unsafe conditions, inappropriate facilities, lack of hygiene and hygienic materials threaten the lives of millions of people, and disproportionally affect women and girls.

This year's World Toilet Day draws attention to the compounded negative impacts of climate change. Flood, drought and rising sea levels are threatening sanitation systems – from toilets to septic tanks to treatment plants. 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.

Even in the European Union, access to sanitation is a serious issue, that is why the Federation issued a joint statement with a wide range of stakeholders to ask the EU to enshrine the recognition of the rights to water and sanitation in fundamental law (read our article and call to action on Right2Sanitation).

Let's never forget: water is life, sanitation is dignity!

More information on https://www.worldtoiletday.info/ or on https://www.unwater.org/