To achieve universal sanitation, as covered in SDG 6 target 6.2, one important piece of information to know is what expenditure is required to achieve it – how much is needed, where it is needed, and when it is needed. As progress is made towards the SDG targets, new...

In this collection of stories from around the world, UNICEF shows that while the challenges are significant, meeting the goal of universal sanitation by 2030 is possible – with greater investment, sustained effort and increased rates of sanitation coverage. Many...

In this blog to accompany the launch of the State of the World’s Sanitation report, Yvonne Magawa (ESAWAS), Batsirai Majuru (WHO), Bisi Agberemi (UNICEF), Jan-Willem Rosenboom and Alyse Schrecongost (BMGF) make the case for sanitation as a public good. For too long,...

In this blog to accompany the launch of the State of the World’s Sanitation report, Kelly Ann Naylor and Bruce Gordon, Heads of WASH for UNICEF and WHO respectively, make the point that no country has achieved high income status without first investing in sanitation....

This new report from WaterAid, Living in a fragile world: The impact of climate change on the sanitation crisis, explores the devastating intersection of poor sanitation and the fragility of health services, all impacted by the unpredictable nature of the world’s...

For the first time WHO and UNICEF bring together the data on sanitation coverage and investment, and how it impacts health, economies, and the environment. Citing evidence on what works from successful countries and global guidelines, WHO and UNICEF call for strong...

There is a reoccurring challenge faced in cities around the world where, despite the immediate proximity of trunk sewerage infrastructure, too many households choose not to connect to the sewers for various social, economic or related reasons. In addition, service...

In a new blog, Guy Hutton, Senior Adviser for water, sanitation and hygiene at UNICEF, explains that although, when summed together, the global costs of achieving universal safe sanitation seem like a gigantic amount, the price is in fact very reasonable, and indeed...

The Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, together with 22 other mandate-holders, have made a joint statement underscoring the vital need to guarantee access to water and sanitation during the pandemic, particularly to those in...

Sewerage management is more than just ‘flushing it away’ – waste must be contained, treated and disposed of safely. In a blog by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Andreas Ulrich explains that in many countries ageing infrastructure and growing urban...

To celebrate the 10th birthday of the human rights to water and sanitation, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation has released two children's storybooks, also available as colouring books.  Children are encouraged to colour...

This webinar, hosted by the International Water Resources Association (IWRA), will focus on this year’s World Toilet Day theme: sustainable sanitation and climate change. Invited panellists will cover a range of topics, including: Opportunities for sustainable...

An initiative in Ghana is focusing on sanitation processes ‘after the flush’ - turning human waste into an economic resource. The CapVal project is implementing several resource recovery and reuse solutions that have significant potential to incentivize more...

The need for sustainable, equitable and inclusive sanitation solutions in urban areas across the globe is greater than ever before, particularly in the wake of the global health crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic, amid rapid urbanisation and climate change...

In his open letter to human rights defenders, UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation Mr Pedro Arrojo-Agudo asks for involvement in the ‘Prohibition of Water Disconnection’ project. This is a call for people to gather...

In this case study from Burkina Faso, the One Drop Foundation tells the story of a successful behaviour change pilot project combining CLTS with social art to help end open defecation. Nearly 21,500 people in the communes of Gorom-Gorom and Falagountou - located in...

Currently, more than four billion people live in urban areas - a number projected to rise to nearly 7 billion by 2050.    Today, nearly 57% of people who live in cities lack safely managed sanitation, and 16% don’t have access to even basic sanitation.  A range of...

Every year, the International Water Association Publishing celebrates World Toilet Day with a quiz on the current theme. Why not take a couple of minutes to test your knowledge about sustainable sanitation and climate change. Take the quiz!

Rapid urbanization and climate change are among the key factors straining sanitation infrastructure and facilities in East African countries including Tanzania. To tackle these challenges, WaterAid Tanzania has been a key partner to the Government through the city...

IHE Delft Institute for Water Education is the largest international graduate water education facility in the world and is based in Delft, the Netherlands.  They have been developing innovative sustainable sanitation programmes for many years, introducing such...

More than 100 households and 1,600 schoolchildren now have better access to safe water in Maguindanao, Philippines, thanks to an International Labour Organization (ILO) and Government of Japan project that trained local residents in construction and plumbing....

The World Toilet Summit, hosted by Project ECHO and the World Toilet Organization, is a global toilet and sanitation-focused conference, and this year no-one has to travel to attend. The international summit - on 18th and 19th November 2020 - provides a forum for...

This technical brief from Canadian charity and engineering firm CAWST summarizes what is known about COVID-19 and sanitation, including the risks related to exposure to wastewater and faecal sludge, and offers tips on how to safely continue offering latrine and septic...

Some of the cleanest and smartest toilets in the whole Bongo district, Ghana, are found in the Foe community health centre, serving more than 2,280 people. The clinic now has piped running water, toilets, showers and a furnace for burning medical waste. The...

Six change-makers, eight minutes each, speaking about whether making the world free from open defecation is a real possibility or just a dream. Organised by FIN, SITE4Society and United Nations University, the session will focus on how we can help people who practise...

In this article, IRC explain how all the current pain, stress and extra work in tackling COVID-19 may yet serve us well in adapting WASH services to the even bigger threat of climate change.

There is so much plastic pollution all around us that is contaminating our environment. Similar problems are created when human waste is poorly managed. IRC asks why there are not more WASH sector actors joining forces to solve the plastic and solid waste pollution?...

World Toilet Day coincides with World Antimicrobial Awareness Week.  Improvements in sanitation and wastewater management can prevent millions of infections that would otherwise be treated with antibiotics and also reduce the  spread of antimicrobial resistance in the...

En los últimos anos América Latina y el Caribe ha logrado avances en proveer agua para cerca del 95% de sus habitantes, pero la tarea de llevar saneamiento seguro para todos es la mas rezagada, especialmente en las zonas rurales. En América Latina y el Caribe, casi 83...

Join the Toilet Board Coalition this World Toilet Day for a dynamic series of events celebrating the entrepreneurs and businesses at the forefront of the sanitation economy: Accelerator Programme India Celebration November 19, 6am ET / 12pm CET / 4:30pm IST Join...

This poster from Canadian charity and engineering firm CAWST offers quick tips for sanitation professionals (including emptiers) on how to keep themselves and their clients safe and healthy during the COVID-19 outbreak. Co-developed with the Pan African Association of...

Upcoming webinar welcomes experts from the human rights and sanitation sectors to discuss the need for governments and businesses to include the human right to sanitation in business processes and standards. Time: 10th November 2020, 15:00h-16:30h CET Sign up here.

The mindfulness practice of being grateful for the good things in life is supposed to help your wellbeing. The team from The POOP Project asks people who are lucky enough to have a functioning toilet to spend one minute on the loo, giving thanks for this vital...

New report by Pacific Institute and Water.org finds rising temperatures and sea levels, changing precipitation patterns, and more frequent and intense floods and droughts are key climate threats to the successful design, construction, and operation of water supply and...

In this blog from IRC, they discuss why sanitation matters in the climate discourse and outline the four interactions between climate change and the sanitation chain and how these potentially threaten safe sanitation service provision.

In sub-Saharan Africa, most people rely on firewood and charcoal for cooking and heating. Using firewood and charcoal in inefficient stoves dangerously pollutes indoor air quality, while cutting down trees without replanting plans degrades the environment. One...

Urban areas around the world are feeling the weight of growing populations. While cities can become hotspots for economic opportunity, they also churn out massive amounts of waste. Untreated waste that returns to the earth can be unsafe – and a waste of precious...

In their efforts to stave off a second wave of COVID-19, scientists from around the world have turned to a new ally: sewage. Given that many people with the virus are asymptomatic and will not be tested for the disease, scientists say sewage could act like a COVID-19...

An estimated 4.5 billion people worldwide live without access to safely managed sanitation, putting them at risk of infectious diseases. Climate change exacerbates these risks by placing strain on sanitation systems. Therefore, sanitation technologies and services...

The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the worst-ever biological disasters. While countries continue to respond to the global crisis, they are also moving towards recovery and adaptation planning at the national and sub-national levels. We need to ensure that these efforts...

As countries around the world are in different stages of responding to the COVID-19 emergency, how should aid agencies and policy makers approach recovery while also addressing climate change? The World Bank blog 'Natural disasters and vulnerable groups: Insights for...

Climate change increases variability in the water cycle and makes extreme weather events more frequent, which threatens billions of people’s access to water and sanitation services and places huge stress on ecosystems. Improved water management, including sanitation,...

Countries are declaring states of emergency while climate change is increasing variability in weather patterns, and other risks such as financial shocks are likely. Therefore, the need to build the general resilience of populations and prepare for these intersecting...

The COVID-19 pandemic has meant that handwashing has made it to the front page of many newspapers. But to fight the pandemic, it is critical that water and sanitation services continue uninterrupted and that efforts are made to increase coverage. Read the full IRC...

COVID19 pandemic: a global threat. What else should we pay attention to? Many infectious diseases are easily transmitted when people have inadequate accesses to toilets, when faeces are insufficiently treated and disposed of, and when personal and domestic hygiene are...

Because handwashing is an important way to reduce transmission, the response to COVID-19 intersects with issues around global access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH). This community page on the Water Action Hub seeks to highlight the connections between...

The 2020 edition of the World Water Development Report was released in conjunction with World Water Day on the 22nd March 2020 under the topic ‘Water and Climate Change’. The report stresses that climate change’s impact on the availability, quality, and quantity of...

Nowhere near enough money is being spent on climate change, and the low levels of funding allocated aren’t being targeted to help the worst affected countries deal with the effects, putting billions of lives at risk. Learn more in the WaterAid report ‘Short-changed on...

COVID-19 has taken lives, devastated economies, and upended relationships. It threatens a new normal fraught with fear and uncertainty. But it has also allowed us to take stock of the interconnected nature of our shared humanity and provide impetus for nations and...

One of the cheapest, easiest, and most important ways to prevent the spread of the coronavirus is frequent handwashing with soap and water. But for many children and families, basic water and hygiene facilities remain out of reach.  40% of the world’s population lacks...

A sustainable future is impossible without universal access to safe, well-functioning and context-appropriate sanitation services. Until this is achieved, sanitation shortfalls will increase the risks human populations face from climate change and climate-related...

Sanitation, hygiene and water are critical for socio-economic development, food security and a healthy environment and are vital for reducing the global burden of disease and improving the health, welfare and productivity of populations. Download the Sanitation and...

How does climate change affect the water and sanitation needs of city residents? These stories from Bangladesh, Mozambique and Zambia give a snapshot of the climate challenges faced around the world. Read the Water & Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP) story...

The coronavirus pandemic poses a grave health threat to Indigenous peoples around the world. Indigenous communities already experience poor access to healthcare, significantly higher rates of communicable and non-communicable diseases, lack of access to essential...

During the spring, heavy rains and flash floods across Yemen interrupted access to safe drinking water and sanitation facilities and destroyed homes and displaced families providing, creating a perfect situation for the spread of cholera. UNICEF article ‘Over 5...

COVID 19 is causing a shockwave around the world and is now the number one concern of the international community. It is fundamental and legitimate to focus on the present of the pandemic. But we must not forget the root causes. It is also essential to think now about...

Super cyclone Amphan ravaged the coasts of India and Bangladesh in May 2020. Satkhira district was one of the hardest hit areas of Bangladesh. The cyclone washed away embankments, mud homes and fisheries, which thousands of families relied upon for their livelihoods,...

Handwashing with soap is the first line of defence in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet inequalities abound in access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), services, and following the advice to wash your hands with soap regularly is not as easy for some as it may...

The district of Asutifi North in the suburbs of Kumasi, Ghana, is making giant strides in providing water services for its citizens – but progress on sanitation is proving much harder and slower. So far 11 communities are working towards being declared open defecation...