19th November is United Nations' World Toilet Day to celebrate toilets and raises awareness of those living without access to safely managed sanitation. It is about taking action to tackle the global sanitation crisis and achieve Sustainable Development Goal 6: Water and Sanitation for All by 2030.
This year the theme marks the importance of "Sustainable sanitation & climate change".
facts about water and sanitation
"Around 60% of the World's population don't have a household toilet that safely takes away their waster." (UN Water)
- Over half of the global population or 4.2 billion people lack safe sanitation. Further:
- 40% – or three billion people – of the global population live without basic handwashing facilities with soap and water available at home.
- Around 297,000 children under five – more than 800 every day – die annually from diarrhoeal diseases due to poor hygiene, poor sanitation or unsafe drinking water.
- Globally, 80% of the wastewater generated by society flows back into the ecosystem without being treated or reused.
- By 2050, up to 5.7 billion people could be living in areas where water is scarce for at least one month a year, creating unprecedented competition for water.
10 Fun Things You Can Do Today！
1. Run in The ‘Urgent Run’
Participate in The Urgent Run or host your own event for this year’s UN World Toilet Day. The Urgent Run (www.urgentrun.com)
2. Do a ‘Big Squat’
Hold a big squat and raise awareness of the more than 1 billion people who face the indignity of open defecation, which spreads diseases. Stop, drop, squat and share!
3. Share
Join the global movement for toilets and sanitation for all and raise awareness by posting on social media this World Toilet Day to make life safer and healthier for 1.25 billion women.
4. Become a toilet advocate
Contact your local representative, community leader or member of parliament and let them know you care about public toilets in your area. Talk toilets with your local representative today.
5. Watch
Watch a World Toilet Day playlist and join the call for toilets and sanitation for all. Here’s one to start with – meet Mr Toilet. JackSim is a man on a mission to end the sanitation crisis.
6. Talk crap
Help break the ‘toilet taboo’ by talking crap with friends and family, colleagues, classmates or neighbors: have a conversation, send anemail, send a text, post to social media, and raise awareness of the importanceof action on sanitation.
7. Toilet Selfie
Did you know that more people own a mobile phone than have access to a toilet? Next time you go to the bathroom, think about how lucky you are, and snap a #toiletselfie and post it online.
8. Invest in toilets and sanitation for all
Donate to support the work of the World Toilet Organization at worldtoilet.org and your donation will go towards advocacy and awareness, and to support capacity building and social enterprise sanitation projects.
9. Learn
Visit World Toilet Organization’s website and the UN World Toilet Day website to learn about the sanitation crisis and how you can get involved.
10. Tell us what you are doing
Join the call for action to end the sanitation crisis on UN World Toilet Day, and share what you’re doing. Comment on this post or write to us at info@greeninitiatives.cn and tell us about our latest initiatives.
REFERENCES
https://www.worldtoiletday.info/
https://www.un.org/en/observances/toilet-day
https://www.worldtoilet.org/ten-things-you-can-do-for-un-world-toilet-day/
