The history of men is reflected in the history
of sewers,' French 19th century author Victor Hugo wrote in Les Miserables.
"The sewer is the conscience of the city... A sewer is a cynic. It tells
every-thing."
Judged by its sewers, the world is not doing well. Only three in 10 people now have a connection to a public sewerage system. A 2007 scorecard showed the sanitation goal was likely to be missed by 600 million people worldwide on current trends.
Sanitation goals seen slipping solution may lie partly in nature -Alister
Doyle
[C.eldoc1/d70d/18mar08mnt1.pdf]
In a
report, the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council records the
experiences of community workers from Africa, Asia, and Latin America on the
all-important issues of safe water, sanitation and hygiene. The report titled ‘Listening' presents the voices of 40 people working with communities across Africa, Asia and Latin America to achieve UN water and sanitation goals. Lack of water and sanitation is the world's number one health problem. This year, 2.2 million children will die as a result of waterborne diseases, says the WSSCC.(Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council) In India, an estimated 591,500 children die from poor hygiene every year -- the highest in the world. In Bangladesh, an estimated 21,000 children die annually due to poor hygiene; in Pakistan the number is 135,000. As many as 769.4 million people in India do not have access to proper sanitation, and for 171 million people improved water supply is a distant dream. to worms. We can not grow healthy food in such contaminated land or can graze our animals One fly is deadlier than one hundred tigers,
InfoChange News & Features [C.eldoc1/sanitation/sanitation-report.html]
According to various
estimations there are approximately 2,6 - 3 billion people living without
proper sanitation. These people have to decide on daily bases how to
organize defecation without feeling ashamed, feel of fear or direct health
problems due to lack of sanitation. Some relieve themselves during the night
time while others hide in the bushes for defecation. Some people even
defecate into plastic bags and then throw the bags as far as they can (this
Flying Toilet example is from a slum district in Kenya). Providing that
people are not accessible to proper toilets, they need to rely on solutions
that are neither good for them or the communities they live in or for the
environment. Due to inadequate water supply, sewerage systems and lack of
sanitation millions of people face death annually. Over 2 million people die
annually only to diarrhoea, wherefrom most are under the age of five. Every
day approximately 6000 children die to diarrhoea related diseases. According
to some estimates two thirds of the costs of medical treatment are used to
nurse diarrhoea related diseases.
World’s sanitation problems can not be solved by building water latrines and sewerage systems. The building and maintenance costs are too high and furthermore this infrastructure can not ensure clean environment. In a case of inadequate wastewater treatment even more severe health and environmental risks than the use of bushes for defecation purposes can be created. Therefore it is necessary to develop cheap, technically simple and safe sanitation alternatives, which can be adjusted to meet the needs of different cultures and environments. aannIt is also necessary to increase sanitation and hygiene education for understanding of the connections to human and environment health. Facility for Sanitation
Global sanitation coverage raised from 49 per cent in 1990 to 58 per cent in 2002. Still, some 2.6 billion people – half of the developing world – live without improved sanitation. Sanitation coverage in developing countries (49 per cent) is only half that of the developed world (98 per cent). Though major progress was made in South Asia from 1990 to 2002, little more than a third of its population is currently using improved sanitation. In sub-Saharan Africa as well, coverage is a mere 36 per cent. Over half of those without improved sanitation – nearly 1.5 billion people – live in China and India. Meeting MGD drinking water and sanitation Target, mid-term Assessment of progress, 2004 "nearly 2.6 billion people across
the world have no access to toilets and modern sanitation facilities. These
people generate more than 200 million tons of excrement annually, which is
neither collected nor treated, thereby posing a grave health hazard. Almost
80% of this population resides in South Asia, South East Asia and
Sub-Saharan African countries." 80% of all sicknesses in the world could be attributed to unsafe water and sanitation. "Yet the problem has not attracted the attention it deserves and is described as the 'orphan child' of the water sector, often under-explored and under-financed," said Pathak. UN data also reveals that globally, 1099 million people lack access to safe water. Of these, 125 million live in India. Also, 2,600 million people worldwide are known to defecate in the open whereas in India, 700 million people lack access to sanitation facilities and are forced to defecate in the open. In India, according to the 2001 census, 63% households are not even equipped with a lavatory "It is a known fact that in many areas which are devoid of toilets in households, women have to defecate in the open. Thus they either go for defecation before or after sunset. This gives rise to other grave problems too, being molested is just one of them," observed a delegate. Nowhere to go Nearly 2.6 billion people across the world have no toilet They generate 200 mn tons of excrement annually An estimated 80% of all sicknesses in the world is attributed to unsafe water and sanitation UN data reveals that globally, 1,099 million people lack access to safe water. Of these, 125 million live in India. 2,600 million people worldwide are known to defecate in the open whereas in India, 700 million defecate in open areas In India, according to the 2001 census, 63% households are not even equipped with a lavatory. Every third person in the world has no
access to a toilet. by Puneet Nicholas [C.eldoc1/d70d/02nov07dna1.pdf] Could you please give the URL: for more info on world toilet sumit including action plans for UN international Year of Sanitation 2008. www.worldtoiletsummit2007.org ww.un.org/esa/sustdev/sissues/sanitation/iys.htm to general resources/websites add www.netwas.org
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