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:
As we celebrate World Toilet Day and the transformative health and economic impacts of access to improved sanitation this November 19, USAID takes you from Ethiopia to Indonesia in this photo essay to showcase how innovative thinking, government action, and private sector participation are collectively improving sanitation around the world. Learn how USAID is helping contribute to our partner countries’ progress toward safe sanitation for all.
In Indonesia, safe sanitation is a big challenge that goes beyond just access to a toilet. The vast majority of the country’s human waste is released untreated into the environment with devastating consequences — approximately 100,000 children across Indonesia die every year from diarrheal diseases. In fact, approximately 90 percent of groundwater in Jakarta, the country’s massive capital city, is contaminated with E.
Toilets are more than a household necessity—they save lives, protect dignity, and create economic opportunity. This November 19, join the annual celebration of World Toilet Day to raise awareness of the importance of sanitation to lift people out of poverty. This year’s theme “Leaving No One Behind” emphasizes the importance of expanding sanitation access to the more than 4.2 billion people living without safely managed sanitation options.
Join IRC WASH and PSI on November 19, 2019 for a special performance of "How the Potty Trained Us" by Shawn Shafner of The Poop Project. In a performance that is stand-up comedy meets lecture meets character-shifting solo play, Shafner will expose how current sanitary practices threaten our health, environment, and 40% of the world still living without safe toilets - and invite us to get our sh*t together before it hits the fan.
Be sure to register! We look forward to talking toilets while enjoying refreshments, games, and prizes with you!
The World Toilet Summit takes place each November to coincide with World Toilet Day celebrations. This year’s summit will be held in Sao Paulo, Brazil, November 18–19, 2019.
Learn more and register: https://wtsbrasil2019.com/en/
World Toilet Day (WTD) is 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. WTD falls every year on November 19. The WTD 2019 theme, "Leaving No One Behind," emphasizes the importance of expanding sanitation access to the more than 4.2 billion people living without safely managed sanitation options. For more information on this year's theme, check the official WTD site: www.worldtoiletday.info.
Water Currents is produced biweekly by USAID’s E3 Water Office. Each issue contains recent news and articles on water sector issues, partner and donor updates, latest sector research, and a special focus on one topic. Please provide your feedback and suggestions by contacting the waterteam@usaid.gov.
Portia Persley, deputy director of the USAID Water Office is also a Toilet Board Coalition Steering Committee Member.
