WASH News International

Every day, over 2.5 billion people suffer from a lack of access to improved sanitation and nearly 1.2 billion practise open defecation, the riskiest sanitary practice of all, according to a new report issued by the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation. The programme is the official UN mechanism tasked with monitoring progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Target 7c on drinking water supply and sanitation.

The report titled “Progress on drinking water and sanitation - special focus on sanitation,” comes halfway through the International Year of Sanitation. The report assesses — for the first time — global, regional and country progress using an innovative “ladder” concept. This shows sanitation practices in greater detail, enabling experts to highlight trends in using improved, shared and unimproved sanitation facilities and the trend in open defecation. “Improved sanitation” refers to any facility that hygienically separates human waste from the environment.

Similarly, the ‘drinking water ladder’ shows the percentage of the world population that uses water piped into a dwelling, plot or yard, and other improved water sources such as hand pumps, and unimproved sources.

Read more: WHO, 17 July 2008

Thirty officials from 13 Commonwealth countries [Bangladesh, Botswana, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Pakistan, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Uganda and Zambia] learned about the sustainable management of urban and peri-urban water and sanitation services at a Commonwealth Executive Exposure programme held in Accra, Ghana, from 30 June to 4 July 2008.

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“With decentralisation and governance reform, the roles and responsibilities of local governments in Commonwealth countries have expanded and increasingly include the supply and maintenance of urban and peri-urban infrastructure, including water and sanitation,” said Dr Munawwar Alam, Adviser on Sub-National Administration and Government at the Commonwealth Secretariat.

The workshop - which was conducted by Commonwealth Secretariat in collaboration with University College London’s Development Planning Unit and the University of Ghana’s Centre for African Wetlands - focused on integrated water management, public-private partnerships in the provision of water, and water programmes supporting livelihoods for the poor.

Source: Commonwealth Secretariat, 08 Jul 2008

Every year 9.7 million children die before reaching their fifth birthday. A new WaterAid report “Tacking the silent killer: The case for sanitation” asserts that improved sanitation could bring the single greatest reduction in these child deaths.

WaterAid’s report reveals that the current statistics on child mortality may be underestimating how many child deaths are attributable to poor sanitation. According to the report inadequate sanitation may be the biggest killer of children under the age of five, yet no governments are prioritising the issue, instead sanitation is the most neglected of all the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) sectors.

The report, released at the G8 Hokkaido summit in Japan, explores how the sanitation sector is being chronically and institutionally neglected by donors and developing country governments alike, resulting in as many as 2.4 million easily preventable child deaths a year; double the number of people killed worldwide in road traffic accidents.

Read more: WaterAid, 07 Jul 2008

Improving access to water, sanitation, and hygiene was also discussed in the editorial and podcast of The Lancet on 28 June 2008. The editorial mentioned how a new WHO report highlights how 9.1% of the global disease burden could be reduced by improved access to water and sanitation and by a staggering 15% in the 32 worst affected countries.

An upcoming analysis from the World Bank concludes that environmental infections and malnutrition are inextricably linked. However, these links have been neglected by policy makers in strategies aimed at improving child survival and development.

In July 2008, the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme will publish updated figures on water and sanitation coverage. The 2008 report is expected to have mixed results: despite some improvement, almost 600 million people in Africa still lack access to improved sanitation. Furthermore, 1·2 billion people worldwide still have no option but to continue to defecate in the open. Over 80% of these people live in 13 countries.

The Lancet, in partnership with leading global experts, will be publishing a Series to build on the evidence base of water, sanitation, and hygiene interventions and practices.

Source: Editorial. The Lancet ; vol. 371, no. 9631 (28 June 2008); p. 2145. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(08)60925-3 [free registration required]

While Americans may consider flush-and-forget-it indoor plumbing to be the pinnacle of sanitary science, the lowly latrine could be a far better solution for many parts of the developing world, say researchers at Michigan Technological University.

Associate Professor David Watkins, Professor James Mihelcic and PhD student Lauren Fry of the University’s Sustainable Futures Institute analyzed worldwide barriers to sanitation. Diseases such as dysentery attack millions of people every year, often fatally, largely as a result of poor sanitation. In particular, the researchers found that a scarcity of clean drinking water is not as big an issue as one might expect.

In fact, installing water-guzzling appliances such as toilets can actually promote unsanitary conditions when the effluent is discharged untreated into once-clean rivers and streams. A properly built latrine, on the other hand, keeps sewage safely separate from drinking water.

“Our challenge has been to look at what interventions make the most difference,” Watkins said. Their findings show that small changes can be more important in preserving health than big engineering projects, a fact that Watkins, an engineer, relates with some consternation. “As engineers, we like to build stuff. But handwashing is really important, too,” he said. “Even a simple thing like not dipping your hand into the water pot can make a big difference.”

Their paper, “Water- and Nonwater-related Challenges of Achieving Global Sanitation Coverage,” was published in volume 42, number 12 of Environmental Science and Technology.  A feature on their work “Why is Global Sanitation So Elusive?” appears in the journal’s Policy News section.

Abstract:

Improved sanitation is considered equally important for public health as is access to improved drinking water. However, the world has been slower to meet the challenge of sanitation provision for the world’s poor. We analyze previously cited barriers to sanitation coverage including inadequate investment, poor or nonexistent policies, governance, too few resources, gender disparities, and water availability. Analysis includes investigation of correlation between indicators of the mentioned barriers and sanitation coverage, correlations among the indicators themselves, and a geospatial assessment of the potential impacts of sanitation technology on global water resources under six scenarios of sanitation technology choice. The challenges studied were found to be significant barriers to sanitation coverage, but water availability was not a primary obstacle at a global scale. Analysis at a 0.5° grid scale shows, however, that water availability is an important barrier to as many as 46 million people, depending on the sanitation technology selected. The majority of these people are urban dwellers in countries where water quality is already poor and may be further degraded by sewering vast populations. Water quality is especially important because this vulnerable population primarily resides in locations that depend on environmental income associated with fish consumption.

Source: Newswise, 17 Jun 2008

New research reveals Britain is the dirtiest country in the developed world – despite two thirds of Brits claiming they are more aware of the importance of hygiene now than last year. The first-of-its-kind study, which swabbed 140 homes from seven countries across the globe, found that:

• A quarter of UK kitchen cloths harbour E. Coli – an indication of faecal contamination
• 15% of Brits’ kitchen sinks had E. Coli present
• Two thirds of baths and showers were satisfactorily clean – yet only 45% of sinks were cleaned to the same standard

(…) The Hygiene Council is an initiative bringing together leading global experts in the field of microbiology, virology, infectious diseases, immunology, and public health. The aim is to revisit current hygiene practices. (…)

Read all Hygiene Council UK

(…) Despite the public receiving more messages about hygiene than ever before, it is clear that there is still a gap between knowledge and practice. (…) Story also in: GMTV

Using existing proven approaches and technologies and for about 10 billion US dollars a year which is less than 1 percent of global military expenditure, the world could meet the Millennium Development Goal sanitation target. That is to halve the number of people without sustainable access to basic sanitation by 2015.

This remark was made by Jon Lane, Executive Director of Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council based in Geneva on the World Environment Day, 5 June 2008.

According to a press release from WSSCC in Geneva, over 500 thousand tonnes of faeces are openly defecated every day to the environment around the world. It pollutes the very environment upon which humans depend. Providing toilets and protecting the environment would be a winning combination for people and planet, says the WSSCC chief.

Read More - People’s Daily Online

Pneumonia and diarrhea, which kill one in three children around the world, are emerging as key concerns in disease prevention, a public-private partnership said.

In the coming year, more progress in getting vaccination against the two diseases would reach more countries, said the GAVI Alliance, which is a grouping of governments, philanthropists, vaccine industry players and international organizations such as the World Health Organization.

“Of prime concern are pneumonia and diarrhoea which together account for 36 percent of global child deaths. Progress in preventing these diseases is crucial to achieving the Millennium Development Goals,”" said the alliance in its annual report.

[...]

GAVI said it had adopted a two-phase strategy for rotavirus vaccine, with the first phase to make vaccines support available to Latin American [Bolivia, Guyana and Honduras were the first to apply] and European countries where the vaccine was already licensed for use.

“”Roll-out in Africa and Asia awaits the results of large-scale safety and efficacy trials,”" it said.

Read more: AFP / Tehran Times, 23 June 2008

Attackers could gain control of critical utilities like water treatment plants and poison water supply, because of a vulnerability in the software that runs some of those facilities, experts with Boston-based Core Security Technologies reported. There was no evidence that anyone else found or exploited the flaw, they added.

Citect Pty. Ltd., which makes the program called CitectSCADA, patched the hole in beginning of June 2008, five months after Core Security first notified Citect of the problem.

But the vulnerability could have counterparts in other SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) systems, which remotely manage computers that control machinery, including water supply valves. Customers that use CitectSCADA include water treatment plants in Louisiana and North Carolina, USA.

For an attack involving the vulnerability that Core Security revealed to occur, the target network would have to be connected to the Internet - which normally only happens when companies have lax security measures.

Read more: Jordan Robertson, AP / Yahoo! News, 11 Jun 2008

“Water and sustainable development” is the theme of Expo Zaragoza 2008. Under the banner of “The Water Tribune” there will be a series of ten thematic weeks, an “Ágora” - a space devoted to citizenship participation, a “water cinema” and nearly 60 parallel events.

In collaboration with the World Bank Institute (WBI), a virtual pavilion named e-waterexpo.net, will be created that will a organise a three-hour videoconferencing session each week.

The ten thematic theme topics are:

1. Water and Land, 16-20 June. Territorial Management. Forestry.

2. Water and Cities, 25-28 June. Local Governments and Governance. Development of Urban Surroundings

3. Water for Life, 30 June - 3 July. Health. Water Quality. Rivers and Sustainability

4. Water, a Unique Resource, 07-09 July. Shared Waters: Governance and Governability. Water Geopolitics. Basin and Aquifers: Planning and Management

5. Water Supply and Sanitation Services, 15-18 July. Regulatory and Institutional Framework. Society and Service Quality. Efficiency, Management and Development.

6. Climate Change and Extreme Events, 21-23 July

7. Water Economics and Financing, 28 July 28 - 01 August. Water Markets. Financial Solutions for Emerging Countries.

8. Water and Society, 4-6 August. Education. Communication. Culture.

9. Water and Energy, 01-03 September. Water for Energy and Energy for Water. Non-Conventional Energy Sources.

10. New Sources of Water: Reuse and Desalination, 08-10 September

Some parallel events of special interest are:

Latin American Forum Water and Sustainable Development
17 July, International Centre of Water and Environment (CIAMA).
Forum organised by Virtual Educa and the Environment Department of the Government of Aragon.

Round table on “Comprehensive water management as a resource and the role of local organizations”
17-18 July
Talks organised by the Foundation Prince Albert II of Monaco and the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR).

Seminar on “Water and sanitation: innovative alternatives“
Date pending confirmation.
Seminar on financing and support to the Development Millennium Goals regarding water and sanitation organised by UNESCO-Etxea.

Presentation “Water, source of life for the Human Rights“
Date pending confirmation.
Presentation of a publication under the aegis of UNESCO-Etxea linked to the Water Human Right.

Encounter of the Agencies for Development and Co-operation
24-25 July, Aljafería Palace, Zaragoza.
Organised by the Spanish Agency for International Co-operation (AECID) for the Directors of the Agencies for Development Co-operation of the 27 EU member states.

Conference “Training needs in Latin America within the framework water and city“
02-03 August, Water Tribune pavilion
Organised by the “Network Water and City” and coordinated by the Technological Water Institute; institute set up by the Technical University of Valencia and the Government of the Autonomous Community of Valencia.

Partnership Conference Africa- Spain for the development of local communities
From 26-28 August
Organised by the Aragonese Federation for Solidarity and the Association for socio-cultural promotion Kaolack-Zaragoza. With the collaboration of the Town Council of Zaragoza and the Government of Aragon. The Governments of Senegal, Gambia and Mauritania.

International Water Research Symposium
27-29 August, World Trade Centre, Zaragoza.
European Symposium on R+D projects on water and sustainable development financed by the EU - DG Research by means of the Framework Programme.

For more info go to the Expo Zaragoza 2008 web site

Organised by the International Water Association (IWA) and International Association of Water Supply Companies in the Danube River Catchment Area (IAWD)

Attracting around 3,000 water professionals, over 4 days the Congress will facilitate some 110 Technical Sessions (each containing 6 presentations) in the following tracks:

• water treatment
• wastewater treatment
• design and operation of water systems
• water resources and river basin management
• managing and planning water services
• health and the environment

Additionally, there will be over 400 poster presentations, 30 workshops, 10 keynote speeches, a Utility Leaders Forum with executives of water service providers, an Industry Forum hosted by sponsors and exhibitors, and the Local Governments’ Day.

The following sessions/workshops will focus on developing countries:

Tuesday 9 September

Keynote plenary on “Water, health and Millennium Development Goals”

Technical Sessions on Science and practice of water and sanitation

• Policy & institutional environment
• Sanitation: new approaches for developing countries
• Mitigating water supply challenges in developing countries

Wednesday 10 September:

Keynote plenary on “Upscaling water and sanitation services” by Abel Meija, Water Manager, Energy, Transport and Water Department, World Bank, USA

Workshops on:

• Water and sanitation: challenges and solutions for the world’s poor urban populations
• Utility water operator partnerships: a building block in achieving the MDGs - serves as the global inauguration of the Water Operator Partnerships (WOPs) programme

For more information go to the conference web site