Today 3.6 billion people still live without a safely managed toilet. This means that even when some people have access to a toilet, they still face multiple risks. When we talk about toilets, our minds often gravitate to a white ceramic slab or pan. Many of us think that all toilets are connected to piped sewer systems. This is far from reality. Many people in developing countries rely on on-site sanitation that starts with containment that catches human waste and requires emptying. Behind each toilet are massive infrastructure and operational arrangements that form the foundations of a safely managed toilet. Together with two water and sanitation experts, Rajeev Munankami and Maria Carreiro, we discuss the urgent need to broaden our perspectives about toilets and make the term ‘safe sanitation’ actionable, especially in light of today’s rapidly changing climate.

This episode is dedicated to World Toilet Day 2021: Valuing toilets. 

The WASH SDG Consortium is formed by the WASH Alliance International (lead by Simavi), Plan International Netherlands and SNV. These organisations partner with a large number of other NGOs and public/private institutions in the countries where the programme is implemented, as well as from the Netherlands.

The WASH SDG Programme is financed by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Inclusive Green Growth (IGG) department.