This August saw the 25th anniversary of World Water Week in Stockholm, the annual conference organised by the Stockholm International Water Institute that serves as a focal point for discussion and debate about the world’s most critical water issues.
International development organisation WaterAid, which was set up by the water industry in response to the world’s water crisis, was one of the key collaborating partners at this year’s conference.
World Water Week’s 2015 theme was “Water for Development”. Experts, practitioners, decision-makers, business innovators and young professionals from a range of different sectors and countries all came together to network, exchange ideas, foster new thinking and develop solutions to the global water challenges of today.
WaterAid participated in more than 18 events, sharing its knowledge and experience with those in the sector, including: the role and opportunity for business; the burden of water collection on women; pioneering water mapping and data sharing through mobile technology; and putting water, sanitation and hygiene (Wash) at the core of healthcare.
World Water Week came at a pivotal time, with the UN meeting later in September at a special summit to ratify new proposed sustainable development goals (SDGs). These goals will replace the millennium development goals and aim to end extreme poverty by 2030.
Since 2012, WaterAid and other organisations have called for a globally agreed SDG dedicated to water and sanitation. If ratified, this goal will call for universal access to water and sanitation by 2030. With sanitation one of the most off-track of the existing millennium development goals, we know prioritising WASH is critical to ending extreme poverty.
The task is huge. More than 650 million people still live without access to clean water and 2.3 billion (that is one in three people in the world) live without access to a safe, private toilet.
Access to water and toilets transforms people’s life chances, leading to better health, education and economic opportunities. The key for success will be including water, sanitation and hygiene in other parts of development, including efforts on child health and nutrition, equal access to education, health care and disease prevention.
Reaching everyone, everywhere with clean water and toilets will require creative thinking and new approaches. We need a stronger understanding of who does not have access to water and sanitation services and whose access may be under future threat from climatic, economic, population or other changes if we are to reach everyone, everywhere by 2030.
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Water, Sanitation and Hygiene: WaterAid speakers call for action at World Water Week
Hannah Greig
Hannah Greig, private sector adviser at WaterAid, was part of a session entitled: “Accelerating corporate action on WASH”, convened by WaterAid, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and the CEO Water Mandate. She said:
“Corporations are beginning to recognise that improving access to safe water and promoting sanitation is good for business. Figures from the World Health Organisation show that for every $1 invested in sanitation, the economic benefits range from $3.1-$16.6. Improved water and sanitation can also increase economic activity as fewer workers fall sick, absenteeism and staff turnover is reduced and productivity is increased. The benefits for the overall economy are clear: providing safe water to an additional 10 per cent of the population can increase GDP growth by 2 per cent.
“So during the session we discussed ways to ensure WASH is put on the corporate agenda. A group of 80 corporations, NGOs and other stakeholders participated.”
Mustafah Abdulaziz
WaterAid also hosted the world premiere of the global photographic exhibition “Water Stories” by award-winning photographer Mustafah Abdulaziz. Water Stories is part of Mustafah’s multi-year project “Water”. The exhibition is supported by HSBC through the HSBC Water Programme, which collaborates globally with WWF, WaterAid and Earthwatch. Abdulaziz said:
“Water is one of the great challenges of our time. Across the planet we are seeing our fundamental relationship with water called into question… I am honoured to work alongside NGOs who care passionately about finding answers to the question of water.”
Yael Velleman
Yael Velleman, WaterAid’s senior policy analyst on sanitation and health, was part of a session on “WASH and Neglected Tropical Disease”, which was the official launch of a new strategy from the World Health Organisation on using water, sanitation and hygiene to accelerate progress on neglected tropical diseases.
“This renewed effort by the WHO aimed at tackling neglected tropical diseases includes the most basic elements of effective healthcare: clean water for drinking, washing and cooking; sanitation to prevent the spread of disease and create a cleaner environment; and good personal hygiene. This is a step change in how the global community approaches these terrible diseases, which affect the poorest individuals and communities. We can fight these diseases more effectively, create healthier communities and better reach the poorest of the poor by joining up medical interventions with efforts to address the environments that contribute to the diseases in the first place.”
In an interconnected world, it falls to everyone to work towards eradicating extreme poverty
Barbara Frost, chief executive of WaterAid, spoke at the opening plenary session of World Water Week and was part of a panel discussion entitled “Women for Water. Every Woman Counts. Every Second Counts”. She said:
“This year’s Stockholm World Water Week was a really significant one for WaterAid as the theme was “Water for Development”, reflecting the sustainable development goals that UN nation states will sign up to next month and the agreements on climate change expected in December after the talks in Paris. Holding World Water Week just before these significant events – which have the potential to transform our world – was critical timing as we will all need to work in a much more joined-up way to ensure that the goals are successful and the overarching aim to eradicate extreme poverty by 2030 is realised.
“The week gave us all the opportunity to talk about the interconnected nature of the 17 sustainable development goals and of the criticality of water and sanitation to their success. Goal six specifically aims to ensure everyone has access to water and sanitation by 2030 and the success of this goal will require adaptation to climate change and a focus on the poorest and most marginalised to ensure no one is left behind.
“We explored the crucial role that water and sanitation play in health and livelihoods. For the first time ever water, sanitation and hygiene have been put at the heart of the World Health Organisation strategy to combat neglected tropical diseases, which affect more than one billion people globally.
“Government representatives, the World Bank, UN agencies, fellow non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the Sanitation and Water for All partnership all stressed the importance of building water and sanitation systems that last, and the need to concentrate on long-term, sustainable solutions, rather than quick fixes.
“WaterAid Sweden did a great job in setting up our stand in the display hall and in encouraging anyone brave enough to try to lift the jerry cans of water that women in many countries of Africa have to carry on their heads to fetch water. Most of us failed to get them off the ground, let alone onto our backs or heads.
“I was on the opening panel that launched the week and colleagues from around the world chaired and spoke on panels as diverse as talking about sustainability, mobile phone technology for mapping and monitoring water points, the engagement of the private sector, resilience and adaptation to climate change, women and water and menstrual hygiene management. We drew on our work which now spans 37 countries and used the opportunity to network with partners from around the world, exchanging ideas with governments, UN agencies, fellow NGOs, academics and the private sector. We collaborated with Unilever on the Women and Water panel and I talked about the need for decent toilets and washing facilities in schools if girls are to stay at class during their menstruation.
“This year’s Stockholm World Water Week really was an important week for WaterAid as we consider how best to deliver out new global strategy – a week of examination, reflection, knowledge-sharing and celebration of innovation.”