World Toilet Day is observed on November 19 to raise awareness about the importance of sanitation and ensure that everyone has access to proper sanitation and clean water.
United Nations declared World Toilet Day in 2013 (Photo credit: Freepik)
New Delhi: World Toilet Day is on November 19 and aims to inspire people to take action on the global sanitation crisis. In 2013, the UN General Assembly declared it an official UN day after Singapore proposed the resolution. Before that, the World Toilet Organization, a Singapore-based NGO, started World Toilet Day in 2001. There are currently, 4.2 billion people live without access to safely managed sanitation, and about 673 million people still practice open defecation. Sustainable Development Goal 6 ensures that everyone has access to clean water and proper sanitation.
In this article, let us look at the theme for World Toilet’s Day this year.
World Toilet Day 2024 theme: Toilets – A Place for Peace
This year’s World Toilet Day theme is “Toilets—A Place for Peace.” The theme highlights how people are facing serious threats to sanitation due to climate change, natural disasters, conflict and neglect.
Sanitation is important and should be safe and secure. However, conflict, climate change, disasters, and neglect threaten billions of people’s access to sanitation.
One goal is to provide ‘safe toilets for all by 2030’ as part of Sustainable Development Goal 6, but progress is lacking. Over 3 billion people live without safely managed sanitation, including 419 million practising open defecation.
There is a need to act quickly to improve sanitation access and create a fairer and more peaceful world.
Toilets are threatened by conflict, extreme weather, and disasters, which can destroy or disrupt sanitation services. When toilet systems fail or are nonexistent, untreated human waste contaminates the environment and can spread diseases like cholera.
Governments must ensure that sanitation and water services are strong, effective, and available to everyone while protecting them from harm.
Toilets are important for peace, safety and progress. Sanitation is a human right that upholds dignity, especially for women and girls. Investing in and governing sanitation better is essential for a fairer and a peaceful world.
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