World Toilet Day 2018
November 19 marks World Toilet Day, an annual global event organized by UN Water to raise awareness of the crucial role that sanitation plays in reducing disease and creating healthier communities.
The theme of this year's observance is "Nature-Based Solutions" to harness the power of ecosystems to tackle the sanitation and water crisis. Nature-based solutions include:
- Composting latrines that capture and treat human waste on site, producing a free supply of fertiliser to help grow crops.
- Human-made wetlands and reed-beds filter waste water before it is released back into water courses.
We must build toilets and sanitation systems that work in harmony with our environment. When nature calls, we have to listen and act. To learn more about World Toilet Day, visit the official UN Water website: www.worldtoiletday.info/wtd2018/.
Related Resources
- Globalwaters.org: Sanitation and Hygiene Resources Collection
- World Toilet Day 2017 on Globalwaters.org
Global Waters Feature Stories, Photo Essays, and Blogs:
- Backyard Cooperation Leads to Wastewater Treatment
- Open Defecation vs. Community Toilets: A Complicated Choice
- Innovative Ghanaian Latrine Makes Sanitation Aspirational
- Trying to Solve Sanitation and Energy Problems at the Same Time
- Photo Essay: Treating Wastewater as a Resource
Podcasts:
- Rolf Luyendijk and Portia Persley on Tackling the Global Sanitation Crisis
- Canisius Kanangire and Richard Rapier on Strategic Planning for Africa’s Water and Sanitation Sectors
