Welcome to the United Nations
Mr. Savio Carvalho
Global Campaign Director, WaterAid
A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of visiting Ntinda Primary School in Kampala, Uganda. On reaching the school, I couldn’t fail to notice the toilet blocks at one end of the compound. They looked fresh and clean, but the headmaster showed us pictures of what they had replaced – four latrine stances, with rags and plastic hung across the stalls for privacy. The stench had been unbearable and the toilets unfit for use.
In partnership with the school, WaterAid, Kampala Capital City Authority and African Evangelistic Enterprise built two sanitation blocks and washrooms as part of menstrual hygiene management activities. Attendance subsequently went up, with children and parents feeling more comfortable with the school’s sanitation facilities.
Surely we have bigger problems?
You may ask, ‘what is the big deal about investing in provision of safe water, adequate sanitation and hygiene? Surely reaching the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) entails tackling more pressing issues – such as eradicating poverty, ending all forms of inequalities or developing infrastructure – than making sure people have decent toilets and safe water?’
But these basic needs – these human rights – have huge impacts on every facet of people’s lives, and we will end neither inequalities nor poverty without ensuring they are met. Living without these essentials is holding billions of people back in poverty.
An estimated 844 million people do not have access to clean water, and 31% of people do not have access basic sanitation. 35% of healthcare centres in low- and middle-income countries have no water and soap for handwashing, and 30% of schools do not have access to clean water. Each year close to 300,000 children under five die from diarrhoeal diseases caused by unsafe water and poor sanitation. WASH is a defining issue for people, prosperity and planet.
We must prioritise WASH
Without addressing the essentials of WASH, no country or government will achieve any of the SDGs. Access to clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene form an essential foundation for progress on many of the goals. This foundation is ‘mission critical’ for achieving lasting progress on health, gender equality, education, nutrition, economic prosperity and reducing inequalities within and between countries.
But, as simple and direct as it may sound, prioritising WASH has not yet had sufficient traction from political leaders, governments, donors and the private sector.
In 2010, to give governments the necessary impetus to address water and sanitation, the UN General Assembly adopted the human rights to safe water and sanitation, making them legally binding in international law. But seven years on, despite this recognition, legal obligations and political commitment in the SDGs, the crisis remains.
How to boost WASH progress
The good news is that this is a solvable issue, and solutions are at hand. As seen in Ntinda primary school, children not only attended school but also started taking new messages on hygiene, such as washing hands and using soap, back to their families. The whole community felt the benefits. Our experience at WaterAid shows that, with political will at the national level, change is possible.
To meet SDG 6, urgent action is needed on three key areas: finance, integration and sustainability. On finance, funding gaps for national WASH plans must be closed, through taxes, tariffs and transfers, with additional WASH-specific support from donors, and safeguards for people who cannot afford fees. Improved integration demands embedding of WASH across policies and programmes, ensuring multi-sectoral connections. Sustainable change requires climate-resilient services, lasting behavioural change and adaptive management that involves rights-holders.
The 2018 High Level Political Forum (HLPF) review of progress on Goal 6 should be a place for vibrant dialogue, action and accountability. In the run up to the HLPF, the UN Secretary General’s progress report on the SDGs and the UN-Water synthesis report on SDG 6, together with the HLPF-negotiated outcome document, must squarely and surely put the WASH crisis high on the political agenda, seeking urgent action.
Let governments leave no stone unturned, and act to ensure these human rights are met for all. In the words of Leonardo da Vinci, “Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.”