Water and Human Rights
Water has many facets, which is why it is an invaluable resource: It is the basis of life on earth while also utilized as natural capital for economic activity. During the World Water Week several of these dimensions of are addressed. One of the most important topics to be addressed is clean water as a requirement for adequate access to basic health services around the globe. Water, sanitation and hygiene are part of SDG 6 and have been recognized as a human right by the UN General Assembly in 2010.
Why this dimension is so important can be displayed in few figures:
- Today, 1 in 4 people – 2 billion people – around the world lack safe drinking water. (WHO/UNICEF 2021)
- Almost half of the global population – 3.6 billion people – lack safe sanitation. (WHO/UNICEF 2021)
- 1 in 3 people – 2.3 billion people – around the world lack basic handwashing facilities at home. (WHO/UNICEF 2021)
The German Toilet Organization
The
German Toilet Organization (GTO) is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization, which works to improve sanitation and thereby protecting the environment, human health and dignity worldwide. The organization is active in three areas: it disseminates knowledge around sanitation and hygiene services, strengthens political engagement with sanitation topics and campaigns for safe and hygienic school toilets. As one of CWS’s most long-lasting partners, our cooperation with the GTO reaches back to early 2000’s. Thus, today’s contribution involves raising awareness for the importance of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene as a human right.
Talking about water and knowledge on hygiene we should not miss another essential for personal hygiene: Toilet paper. Tomorrow, as it is the World Toilet Paper Day, we will show some facts on toilet paper.
