World toilet day

What on earth?…

Yes, that’s right, there really is one whole day a year dedicated to toilets! And although it might sound like a load of ? it’s actually a really important day and stages a very serious topic. 

World Toilet Day on the 19th of November plays an integral role in raising awareness around ground water sanitation. The day aims to highlight the pressing issues of the 3.6 billion people living without access to safely managed sanitation and the importance of taking action to tackle the global sanitation crisis.

Sanitation: a basic human right, right?

We often hear phrases thrown about, like, “ I just need to nip to the loo”, or “I’m just going to the toilet”, right? Going to the toilet (albeit not the most glamorous) is, for the majority of us, easy, clean and something we probably take for granted. But sadly, nearly half the world’s population still live without a “safe toilet”. Nearly half!… Living without access to a safely managed sanitation system isn’t just an inconvenience, but a potentially serious health risk.

Sanitation is a basic human right, and World Toilet Day has become a stage for championing hygienic water facilities all over the world, so that everyone can alleviate themselves with dignity and in safety.

The aim for 2022

This year, World Toilet Day focuses on the impact of the sanitation crisis on groundwater. Inadequate sanitation systems spread human waste into rivers, lakes and soil, polluting the water resources under our feet. Groundwater is our most abundant source of freshwater and plays a huge part in supporting our drinking water supplies, sanitation systems, farming, industry and ecosystems… Pretty much everything we take for granted. And, we bet you didn’t know, groundwater actually accounts for approximately 99% of all liquid freshwater on Earth! (UN-Water 2022).

We must work hard to ensure everyone has a safe toilet by 2030. The connection between sanitation and groundwater cannot be overlooked. Time is running out and we must help make the invisible visible.

Let’s come together, take action and end the sanitation crisis, visit the World Toilet Day website to learn more about the cause and see how you can get involved.