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UN: 2.4 billion people will lack improved sanitation in 2015
press release
2.4 billion people will lack improved sanitation in 2015
World will miss MDG target
GENEVA/NEW YORK, 13 May 2013 – Some 2.4 billion people – one-third of the world’s population – will remain without access to improved sanitation in 2015, according to a joint WHO/UNICEF report issued today.
The report, entitled PRogress on Sanitation and Drinking-Water 2013 Update, warns that, at the current rate of progress, the 2015 Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target of halving the proportion of the 1990 population without sanitation will be missed by eight per cent – or half a billion people.
While UNICEF and WHO announced last year that the MDG drinking water target had been met and surpassed by 2010, the challenge to improve sanitation and reach those in need has led to a consolidated call for action to accelerate progress.
“There is an urgent need to ensure all the necessary pieces are in place – political commitment, funding, leadership – so the world can accelerate progress and reach the Millennium Development Goal sanitation target,” said Dr Maria Neira, WHO Director for Public Health and Environment. “The world can turn around and transform the lives of millions that still do not have access to basic sanitation. The rewards would be immense for health, ending poverty at its source, and well-being.”
The report echoes the urgent call to action by United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson for the world community to combine efforts and end open defecation by 2025. With less than three years to go to reach the MDG deadline WHO and UNICEF call for a final push to meet the sanitation target.
“This is an emergency no less horrifying than a massive earthquake or tsunami,” said Sanjay Wijesekera, global head of UNICEF’s water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programme. “Every day hundreds of children are dying; every day thousands of parents mourn their sons and daughters. We can and must act in the face of this colossal daily human tragedy.”
Among the key findings from the latest 2011 data, the report highlights:
- Almost two-thirds (64 per cent) of the world’s population had access to improved sanitation facilities, an increase of almost 1.9 billion people since 1990.
- Approximately 2.5 billion people lacked access to an improved sanitation facility. Of these, 761 million use public or shared sanitation facilities and 693 million use facilities that do not meet minimum standards of hygiene.
- In 2011, 1 billion people still defecated in the open. Ninety per cent of all open defecation takes place in rural areas.
- By the end of 2011, 89 per cent of the world population used an improved drinking-water source, and 55 per cent had a piped supply on premises. This left an estimated 768 million people without improved sources for drinking water, of whom 185 million relied on surface water for their daily needs.
- There continues to be a striking disparity between those living in rural areas and those who live in cities. Urban dwellers make up three-quarters of those with access to piped water supplies at home. Rural communities comprise 83 per cent of the global population without access to improved drinking- water source and 71 per cent of those living without sanitation.
Faster progress on sanitation is possible, the two organizations say. The report summarizes the shared vision of the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector including academia, human rights and global monitoring communities for a post-2015 world where:
- No one should be defecating in the open
- Everyone should have safe water, sanitation and hygiene at home
- All schools and health centres should have water, sanitation and hygiene
- Water, sanitation and hygiene should be sustainable
- Inequalities in access should be eliminated
***
Download the entire report and get more information at:
- http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/publications/2013/jmp_report/en/index.html
- http://www.unicef.org/media/media_69091.html
- http://www.wssinfo.org
- http://www.who.int/phe/en/
About the JMP
The WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply and Sanitation is the official United Nations mechanism tasked with monitoring global progress towards the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) relating to access to drinking water and sanitation. The JMP data helps draw connections between access to clean water and private sanitation facility and quality of life.
About WHO
The World Health Organization is the directing and coordinating authority for health within the United Nations system. It is responsible for providing leadership on global health matters, shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and standards, articulating evidence-based policy options, providing technical support to countries and monitoring and assessing health trends. From its inception, WHO has recognized the importance of water and sanitation. Visit www.who.int for more information.
About UNICEF
UNICEF works in more than 190 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.
Community Approaches to Total Sanitation (CATS), now being supported by UNICEF in 50 countries around the world, including crucial ones in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, have led to more than 39,000 communities, with a total population of over 24 million people, being declared free of open defecation within the last five years.
For more information about UNICEF and its work visit: www.unicef.org.
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For further information, please contact:
Rita Ann Wallace, Communications Officer, UNICEF New York,
Tel: + 1 212 326 7586 / Mobile: + 917 213 4034, rwallace@unicef.org
Nada Osseiran, Communications Officer, WHO Geneva,
Tel: + 4122 791 4475 / Mobile: + 4179 445 1624, osseirann@who.int
source http://www.unicef.org/media/media_69091.html
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Solving the Global Sanitation Crisis Discussion Panel – CGI U 2013
Washlink comment: This is way too short given the panelists, none the less still great to watch. The first 2 quarters of an hour and last quarter are the best. The third quarter – has audio problems – when the audience give reports from their breakup group meetings.
Today, more people around the world have access to a mobile phone than a toilet. An estimated 2.5 billion people lack access to clean and safe bathrooms, resulting in diarrheal diseases that kill more children than AIDS, malaria, and measles combined. Many developing country governments simply do not have the financial or human capital to deliver improved sanitation to everyone who needs it. Furthermore, many development programs that strive to provide sanitation often fail to have the impact and sustainability needed to scale, and instead distort the market for innovation in the sanitation field. To truly move the needle on this challenge, profitable sanitation services need to be developed so that businesses—rather than nonprofits—can expand access to coverage in ways that will not only increase their profit margins, but also make a major public health impact. This panel will focus on how students can get involved in market creation for sanitation enterprises and will highlight recent innovations and business models that have already been developed by young leaders.
Moderator:
Fred de Sam Lazaro, Correspondent, PBS Newshour, Senior Fellow, Saint Mary’s University
Participants:
- Miriam Atuya, SANENERGY sales; Student, Trinity University
- Edward Ned Breslin, Chief Executive Officer, Water For People
- Sebastien Tilmans, Co-founder, re.source; Ph.D. Candidate, Stanford University
- Gary White, Co-founder and CEO, Water.org
About Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U)
Building on the successful model of the Clinton Global Initiative, which brings together world leaders to take action on global challenges, President Clinton launched the Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) in 2007 to engage the next generation of leaders on college campuses around the world.
Each year, CGI U hosts a meeting where students, youth organizations, topic experts, and celebrities come together to discuss and develop innovative solutions to pressing global challenges. CGI U 2013 was held at Washington University in St. Louis from April 5 – 7, 2013, bringing together nearly 1,200 attendees to make a difference in CGI U’s five focus areas: Education, Environment and Climate Change, Peace and Human Rights, Poverty Alleviation, and Public Health.
Related articles:
- Sanitation as a business – the poor will have to wait (sanitationupdates.wordpress.com)
- Water and Sanitation Seek Rightful Place in Post-2015 Agenda (ipsnews.net)
- WEDC & WSP online learning course – Rural Sanitation at Scale (washlink.wordpress.com)
When Sanitation Does Not Have Clear Institutional Home or Accountability, Progress Lags: UN Deputy Secretary-General
Deputy Secretary-General DSG/SM/661 DEV/2984
When Sanitation Does Not Have Clear Institutional Home or Accountability, Progress Lags, UN Deputy Secretary-General Tells High-level Panel
——PRESS RELEASE——-
Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, at a high-level panel on investing in sanitation, in Washington, D.C., 19 April:
I am pleased to see so many familiar faces from last year’s Sanitation and Water for All High Level Meeting.
Last year we talked about commitments. Today I want to talk about action. But first let me ask a question recently directed to me by Kate Norgrove of Water Aid. Have you ever been caught short and wondered where to find a toilet? Probably a painful or embarrassing moment. Let us then remember that 2.5 billion people do not have toilets! This is their daily situation.
In New York, where I live, you will only find public toilets in Central Park. It is a problem common to most towns and cities.
Recently I was in Addis Ababa. I visited a small sanitation project called Feyenne in the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis. Feyenne, which is supported by UNICEF [United Nations Children’s Fund] and the Oromia Bureau of Youth and Sports, is run by three young men who used to live on the streets. In their small office was a chalk board with one word written on it. “Sustainability”.
Their approach to sustainability was to tackle the sanitation problem as a business. They had identified a need, and they had decided to fill it. The concept was simple — to provide a safe, clean public facility at low cost near the main market. With money from the toilet project, Feyenne has been able to open additional income generating activities that provide employment opportunities for vulnerable young people. It is a model that is needed — and replicable.
Sanitation is the Millennium Development Goal on which we have made least progress. Yet, it is among the most important. Success on sanitation has a direct bearing on the other Goals, and it will be central to the post-2015 sustainable development agenda. It is an issue of fundamental human dignity and the health of people and the environment. Out of the 2.5 billion people without sanitation, more than 1 billion people defecate in the open.
That is why, last month, I launched a call to action for sanitation on behalf of the United Nations Secretary-General. The objective is to galvanize major players to do more by building on two key ongoing initiatives — the United Nations General Assembly Sanitation Drive and the Sanitation and Water for All partnership. The Sanitation Drive calls on all Member States to intensify efforts and focuses on communication and advocacy. It is essential to get people to think about and openly discuss sanitation and open defecation. We need to break the taboos.
The other initiative, Sanitation and Water for All, has over 91 global partners. Last year I moderated the second Sanitation and Water for All High Level Meeting held here. More than 50 ministers attended and some 400 commitments were tabled. In June, we will have the results of these commitments, with a full report next year. Heads of State, members of Government and other actors need to know what has been achieved and what remains to be done.
We have already seen the results of some of these commitments. For example, in Ethiopia, the Government has endorsed a unified water supply, Sanitation and Hygiene Monitoring and Evaluation Framework. And in Madagascar the Government has created a Directorate of Sanitation. Someone is made responsible.
That is one of the problems that has been holding back progress. Sanitation often does not have a clear institutional home or clear accountability. In 2014, UNICEF and the World Bank will convene the third Sanitation and Water for All High Level Meeting. I look forward to registering progress and new commitments.
There are three things we can do to speed up progress on sanitation. First, we can scale up the projects that work. Simple, affordable action has already proved its worth. Between 1990 and 2010, about 1.8 billion people gained access to sanitation — a significant achievement. Many countries have tackled this problem within a generation. They have shown that we can achieve our targets.
Second, we must speed up the elimination of open defecation — country by country, community by community, family by family. We need to ensure that everyone has access to a clean and safe toilet. We need to change attitudes and generate demand. We need to talk about the problem, not turn our heads.
And finally, we need to strengthen cooperation and boost investment. The cost of poor sanitation can be counted both in human lives and lost productivity. According to a study undertaken for the Water and Sanitation Programme and the World Bank, inadequate sanitation costs the Indian economy an estimated $53.8 billion a year, equivalent to 6.4 per cent of GDP [gross domestic product]. On the other hand, we know that every dollar spent on water and sanitation can bring a five-fold return. The economic benefits for developing countries are estimated at $260 billion a year.
The public sector has major stake to play. But, the private sector also has a major stake. There is a considerable market — millions of customers need an essential service. Opportunities abound for everyone from multinationals to local entrepreneurs. If we all do our part, we can achieve substantial results. So, let us commit now to provide adequate sanitation and safe water for all and stop open defecation — so that women and girls can live with dignity; so that our children can survive and communities can thrive.
Investing in sanitation is a win-win proposition — ensuring that millions of people can live productive lives, the Millennium Development Goals can be achieved and healthy societies can be built. There are only winners if we all mobilize. Nobody can do everything — but everybody can do something. Thank you.
video of his speech:“A Matter of Life: Investing in Sanitation – a Conversation with Jan Eliasson, Tony Lake, & Global Decision-Makers”
Related articles
- Jan Eliasson: Everyone Needs a Place to Go (huffingtonpost.com)
- Pakistan pays heavily for poor sanitation, says UN (dawn.com)
- U.N.: Global lack of toilet, latrine access a “silent disaster” (cbsnews.com)
- New Sanitation Figures Compete with Official UN Statistics: 6 in 10 Lack Proper Facilities (sanitationupdates.wordpress.com)
- UN seeks to end toilet ‘taboo’ (dawn.com)
Brian Arbogast to Lead Water, Sanitation & Hygiene Program: Announcement by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
press release 206-709-3400 media@gatesfoundation.org
SEATTLE — The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation today announced that Brian Arbogast has been named director of the Water, Sanitation & Hygiene program. He will start work at the foundation on May 13, 2013.
“Brian has more than 20 years of experience leading teams around the world. He is well equipped to drive an innovative program that is helping bring sanitation services to people in developing countries,” said Chris Elias, president of Global Development at the foundation.
Arbogast was previously with Microsoft Corporation. Most recently, he concentrated in cleantech and international development to drive market solutions that address the world’s most pressing challenges. He served as a Senior Advisor with The Boston Consulting Group and as a board member of the Northwest Energy Angels. He is a founding board member of Progress Alliance of Washington. He has served on the board of Water1st International and as a senior advisor to Upaya Social Ventures.
Arbogast received his Bachelor of Mathematics in Computer Science from the University of Waterloo, Canada, and a Certificate in Sustainable Business from the Bainbridge Graduate Institute.
About The Water, Sanitation & Hygiene program at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
“The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Water, Sanitation & Hygiene program focuses on the development of tools and technologies that can lead to radical and sustainable improvements in sanitation in the developing world. Although we support some clean water and hygiene projects, sanitation is our top priority because we have identified it as a neglected area in which we can spur significant change.
A sanitation facility in the Kibera slum in Nairobi, Kenya, that was built by a public-private partnership to improve urban sanitation.
Because the innovations we support can be most immediately valuable in densely populated areas, our main focus is on urban sanitation and the public policies that can support new sanitation delivery models in cities. Our priorities include identifying and testing delivery models that governments and the private sector can use to extend quality service to all residents of a city, not just those in wealthier neighborhoods. Ultimately, improved sanitation will be a key to ensuring healthy, sustainable cities in the developing world, and the approaches that prove successful can then be adapted and extended to rural communities.
Our strategy to build global demand for better sanitation also includes efforts to end open defecation in rural areas and to implement improved measures for collecting waste, removing pathogens from waste streams, and recovering valuable resources and energy.” source / more…
About the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation:
Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people’s health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people-especially those with the fewest resources-have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, Washington, the foundation is led by CEO Jeff Raikes and Co-chair William H. Gates Sr., under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett.
source : press release & foundation site. Photo is from Northwest Energy Angels site
Rose George: Let’s talk crap. Seriously: 2013 TED TALK available now!
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Webinar: How Can Rural WASH Sustainability Be Improved?…Wed, Apr 17
Documenting Policy and Practice in the Rural WASH Sector: How Can Sustainability Be Improved?
A webinar in the WASH Sustainability Webinar Series hosted by SustainableWASH.org
- Wed, Apr 17, 2013 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM EDT
According to the Qualitative Document Analysis (QDA) of WASH programs recently undertaken by the IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre’s Triple-S program, the absence of Life Cycle Costing Approach (LCCA) and asset management are the most prevalent weaknesses in sustainable programming. This webinar provides specific examples of organizations that have leveraged LCCA and asset management for sustainable WASH services. After the presentations there will be an interactive discussion between the presenters based on questions and feedback from the audience.
source for all content: SustainableWASH.org and registration link
First Water Integrity Forum: 5 – 7 June 2013
“…Extend the base – Increase the pace”
“…To address the need for extending the reach of water integrity action…”
Organized by:
- Water Integrity Network (WIN)
- Water Governance Centre (WGC)
- UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education
Where
- In the Netherlands at UNESCO-IHE
When
- from 5 – 7 June 2013.
The main objectives of the forum are:
- Take stock of progress in addressing corruption issues in the water sector
- Share knowledge, approaches and experiences
- Build alliances to address the integrity challenges in the water sector;
The forum will bring together co-convening partners and various important stakeholders such as policy makers/regulators, investors, private sector, NGOs and other water professionals from different continents and with different backgrounds. They will share theories, approaches, cases, tools, lessons, views and ideas about improving water integrity. The forum will last 2,5 days with sessions, working groups, round-tables and an open-space. The outcomes of the Forum will the basis of a publication on Water Integrity, and will feed into other processes and events on the road to the World Water Forum in 2015.
key work stream:
- Work stream 1 Water, food and energy
- Work stream 2 Water resources management in river basins
- Work stream 3 Rural WASH
- Work stream 4 Integrated urban water management and services
- Work stream 5 Tools to diagnose and assess Integrity
- Work stream 6 Tools to improve, build and monitor integrity
- Work stream 7 Processes to scale up integrity
Source for all core content is from http://www.waterintegrityforum.com/
Webinar: Water, Integrity and Corruption : April 25 hosted by The Water Channel
Why Water and Integrity? Webinar #6
| Date and time: | April 25, 1300 GMT (Click here to see what time that would be where you live) | |||
| Speaker: | Binayak Das, Water Integrity Network | |||
| Click here to enter the webinar | ||||
Description:  |
Water will determine what world the future generations will live in. But this precious resource is underpinned by bad governance and lack of integrity. In many countries shortcomings are not due to shortage of water resources but due to governance failures, such as institutional fragmentation, lack of coordinated decision-making, corruption and low levels of transparency and accountability. The result is that governance systems are often not able to prevent or even provide incentives for unethical behaviour and poor professional practice. Corruption is moreover all pervasive and affects all aspects of the water sector – from water resources management to drinking water services, irrigation and hydropower, it occurs in all phases – from design through construction to operation and maintenance – and it is a major factor in the global water crisis. Integrity issues are often at the core of conflicts around water, which are arising at local, country and international levels.Improving water governance requires transparency, accountability and fighting corruption. It requires the right knowledge, access to strong partnerships and good tools. Improving water integrity means working with preventive measures to promote transparency, accountability and participation in water. Lessons have already been learnt from this preventive work. | |||
| About the speaker: | Binayak Das is the Programme Coordinator for Knowledge Management and Action Research at the Water Integrity network and also is focal point for South Asia. He has been associated with the water sector for the past 13 years – as a journalist, writer, researcher, coordinator and consultant.The Water Integrity Network (WIN) was formed in 2006 to respond to increasing concerns among water and anti-corruption stakeholders over corruption in the water sector. It combines global advocacy, regional networks and local action, to promote increased transparency and integrity, bringing together partners and members from the public and private sectors, civil society and academia, to drive change that will improve the lives of people who need it most. | |||
| Related Resources | ||||
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| About the Webinars: Web-based Seminars | They are presentations or lectures transmitted over the Web. With support from IFAD, TheWaterChannel started a series of Webinars on a variety of topics under three themes related to rural poverty alleviation. The Webinars will be organised together with our partners UNESCO-IHE and Cap-Net, and will feature some well-known experts on these topics. The Webinars will be collaborative; the participants will be able to communicate with the resource persons in real-time. Apart from lectures, there will be key resources, polls and question-answer sessions. | |||
Source for all core content is http://www.thewaterchannel.tv/webinar
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