Partners in Sanitation: Bringing toilets to 2.5 billion people without them.
Forty percent of the world people have no sanitation. Stop a moment to think about what that means.
Waterborne sanitation systems of industrialized cities are unsustainable and inappropriate for most parts of the developing world. New approaches to sanitation, therefore, are characterized by radical innovation, community involvement, and the development of low cost products for a vast market.
World Toilet Organization PHLUSH is a proud member of this global non-profit founded by Jack Sim. The Singapore-based organization is committed to improving toilet and sanitation conditions worldwide and organizes the annual World Toilet Summit and Expo. The group works on toilet issues across the board. With the launch of World Toilet Day, celebrated annually on November 19th, WTO has been instrumental in creating awareness about the 2.5 billion human beings who lack toilets.
World Toilet Summit For more than a decade, the World Toilet Organization has organized the World Toilet Summit and Expo. The aim of WTS is to nurture collaboration between government bodies, researchers, aid organizations and industry towards sanitation solutions for the 2.5 billion people without reasonable access to safe toilets.
Sustainable Sanitation Alliance Founded in 2007 in support of the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals, SuSanA is on the cutting edge of sanitation technologies in the developing world. It works to raise awareness of sustainable sanitation solutions, including reuse-oriented solutions, and to promote them on a large scale. An extensive website maintained through funding from Germany’s GIZ and the Stockholm Environment Institute provides state-of-the-art technical manuals free of charge. SuSanA meets twice a year, has elevenWorking Groups, publishes case studies and a monthly news email. In 2009 PHLUSH became the 128th SuSanA partner.
Sulabh International Founded in 1970 by Dr Bindeshwar Pathak, the Sulabh Social Service Organization is both an organization and a movement. With its profound commitment to human rights and dignity, the organization has freed thousands of scavengers from the inhumane task of removing feces from the homes of the higher castes and provided alternative employment. Sulabh has build thousands of public toilet complexes throughout India. It also works bilaterally with neighboring countries and in collaboration with the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements in Nairobi and the International Water and Sanitation Centre at Loughborough University in the UK.
African Civil Society Network on Water and Sanitation ANEW is a regional networking body of African civil society organizations involved in the field of sustainable water management, water supply and sanitation. A partner in the Freshwater Action Network, ANEW works to improve water governance by strengthening the role of civil society in decision making and to link environmental and developmental agendas to ensure the right to water and sanitation for present and future generations.
Canadian Toilet Organization Founded in late 2008, CTO is a network of individuals from various backgrounds and professions committed to improving toilet and sanitation conditions in Canada and abroad.
German Toilet Organization GTO is the key national sanitation advocate among a broad network of German and international environmental organizations. To educate the public about the issues, the GTO has designed a series of creative campaigns and works extensively with youth.
Recommended Resources on International Sanitation
Handbook on Community-Led Total Sanitation. By Kamal Kar with Robert Chambers. Plan UK, 2008. Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) is an approach that ignites radical change in attitudes toward sanitation. Rather than construct toilets or create awareness for individual behavior change, CLTS concentrates on the whole community. The well-tested participatory methodology enables community members to discover the collective benefit from stopping open defecation. People decide together how they will create a clean and hygienic environment that benefits everyone. The authors explain that “the method used encourages local communities to visit the dirtiest and filthiest areas in the neighbourhood, appraising and analysing their practices, it shocks, disgusts and shames people. This style is provocative and fun, and is hands-off in leaving decisions and action to the community.” This superb 100-page study is downloadable free of charge from Plan UK.
Compendium of Sanitation Systems and Technologies. By Elizabeth Tilley et al. Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag). Dübendorf, Switzerland. 2008. Prior to publication of this compendium, information on sanitation solutions was scattered throughout hundreds of books and journals. This concise document with the principal tried and tested technologies is a useful tool for making informed decisions. Part 1 describes different system configurations for a variety of contexts. Part 2 consists of 52 different Technology Information Sheets, which describe the main advantages, disadvantages, applications and the appropriateness of the technologies required to build a comprehensive sanitation system. Each Technology Information Sheet is complemented by a descriptive illustration. International Year of Sanitation 2008
