November 19, 2018 is World Toilet Day.

The slogan this year is “when nature calls”. This means we must build toilets and sanitation systems that work in harmony with our environment. When nature calls, we have to listen and act.

That means implementing nature-based solutions (NBS) to the sanitation and water crisis by harnessing the power of ecosystems.

According to reports from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF):

• Around 60% of the global population – 4.5 billion people – either have no toilet at home or one that doesn’t safely manage excreta.
• 862 million people worldwide still practise open defecation.
• Combined with safe water and good hygiene, improved sanitation could prevent around 842,000 deaths each year.

Source: UN website http://www.un.org/en/events/toiletday/

To learn more, consult:
official factsheet