Mumbai, 13 October 2011, www-wsscc-global-forum.org
Chair, ladies and gentlemen, colleagues and friends,
That great moral beacon of our times, Nelson Mandela, invites us to judge the importance of an issue not by how glamorous or attractive it is but by how much good it does for how many people. On that basis, sanitation is one of the most important issues in the world. As our Forum draws to a close, I would like to share with you some observations about the subject and some thoughts for the future.
This is an exciting time to be working in sanitation. Historically, sanitation and hygiene have been neglected and underfunded topics characterized by inconsistent approaches and policies, fragmentation and unclear responsibilities. In recent years this has started to change: the United Nations have formally recognized access to safe drinking water and sanitation as a human right, more organizations have become engaged in sanitation and hygiene, and new networks and initiatives have started. Media and political decision-makers are beginning to understand the huge benefits of improved sanitation.
UNITED NATIONS – / MaximsNews Network / 13 June 2008 — Geneva – Over 500,000 tonnes of faeces are openly defecated every day to the environment around the world. That’s enough to fill the 30,000-seat Stade de Genève, where the Euro 2008 football tournament kicked off last weekend, three times over.
But the global sanitation crisis is not a mere game: it pollutes the very environment upon which humans depend. Providing toilets and protecting the environment would be a winning combination for people and planet, says the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC).
More – Maxims News
Using existing proven approaches and technologies and for about 10 billion US dollars a year which is less than 1 percent of global military expenditure, the world could meet the Millennium Development Goal sanitation target. That is to halve the number of people without sustainable access to basic sanitation by 2015.
This remark was made by Jon Lane, Executive Director of Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council based in Geneva on the World Environment Day.
According to a press release from WSSCC in Geneva, over 500 thousand tonnes of faeces are openly defecated every day to the environment around the world. It pollutes the very environment upon which humans depend. Providing toilets and protecting the environment would be a winning combination for people and planet, says the WSSCC chief.
Read More – People’s Daily Online