One-third of world's people still have no proper toilets

[webfact]

One-third of world's people still have no proper toilets
KATY DAIGLE, Associated Press

NEW DELHI (AP) — Toilets are taken for granted in the industrialized West, but still are a luxury for a third of the world's people who have no access to them, according to a report by the World Health Organization and UNICEF.

Those who make do without toilets continue to pollute water sources and jeopardize public health and safety for millions worldwide. That contributes to malnutrition and childhood stunting, impairing 161 million children both physically and mentally every year.

"Until everyone has access to adequate sanitation facilities, the quality of water supplies will be undermined and too many people will continue to die from waterborne and water-related diseases," WHO's public health department director, Dr. Maria Neira, said in a statement.

The joint report released Tuesday by the U.N. agencies evaluates progress on global targets set in 2000 for giving everyone access to clean drinking water and sanitation facilities, along with other goals in areas such as poverty, hunger, disease and inequality. With those benchmarks expiring this year, the United Nations is leading efforts to come up with a new set of "sustainable development goals" that are expected to focus on how some $2.5 trillion in development funds will be spent through 2030.

Past efforts to improve water and sanitation have seen some success, with 2.1 billion people gaining access to better sanitation facilities since 1990, according to the report. Yet, another 2.4 billion people have seen no improvement, including 946 million people still relieving themselves outdoors — the vast majority among the rural poor.

India is by far the worst culprit, with more than 640 million people defecating in the open, and not necessarily due to a lack of facilities. Many men who have installed toilets at home still prefer going outdoors as they survey their farmlands or seek a few minutes of quiet.

While successive Indian governments have pledged to install toilets in every home, little has been done to educate people about the dangers of unsanitary practices. Meanwhile, diarrheal diseases kill 700,000 children every year, most of which could have been prevented with better sanitation. India still needs to build some 100 million toilets to provide everyone access, but experts say the country also needs to invest more in campaigns to change behaviors. Instead, the government recently slashed its sanitation budget in half.

"There is a kind of a feeling among politicians that, if we ignore the problem it will go away," said Nitya Jacob, who leads policy for the Indian branch of the international charity WaterAid. "And so we've had years of poor funding, poor quality equipment and poor solutions being offered to the poor."

India is also a victim of its own population growth, with some 1.26 billion citizens now and counting. That "just wipes out any gains in sanitation, or on any development front," Jacob said.

The world has done better in giving more people access to clean drinking water, with 2.6 billion people getting improved access since 1990.

Still, 663 million of the world's poorest — more than the populations of the European Union and Russia combined — have seen no improvement at all. Instead, they are left to scavenge for water around broken pipes and stagnant ponds, may walk miles (kilometers) to the nearest spigot for clean water, or may be financially exploited by "water mafias" charging almost a full day's wages for single cup of water.

Some experts in development issues cautioned against seeing the report as evidence of failure, noting that the tasks themselves were difficult and the goals ambitious.

"It's important not to lose sight of the fact that things have gotten much better" even if the goals haven't been met in full, said economist Bjorn Lomborg, founder of the Copenhagen Consensus Center economic think tank. For example, the world aimed to cut child mortality by two-thirds, but managed to reduce it only by half. "That's still 6 million children now who don't die every year. That's still a big victory," Lomborg said.

Lomborg and other economists have argued for a more systematic approach in spending future global development funds, by analyzing project costs and potential benefits in monetary terms to determine which would deliver the most "bang for the buck."

Addressing sanitation and water woes, for example, is a clear priority but is relatively pricey at $45 billion a year, according to a Copenhagen Consensus evaluation done in recent months. It could potentially save around 350,000 people from premature deaths caused by infection and disease, and in economic terms provide $144 billion a year in benefits in terms of limiting health care costs or sparing losses in income. That works out to about $7 of benefit for every $1 spent. The less ambitious goal of just getting people to stop defecating in the open, however, would cost just $13 billion and yield $84 billion in economic benefits, or $6 for every $1 spent, the group concluded.

"It's still a good use of resources, you're still gaining," Lomborg said. But given how many problems the world faces, from enduring hunger to diseases like malaria and tuberculosis, "it may not be the best use of limited resources."


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-07-01

[billd766]

Whilst it is a wonderful idea does the plan also include the necessary infrastructure needed as well.

Simple things like ensuring a good water supply (from where?), septic tanks and a method of collecting and disposing of the septic tank contents, sewage stations etc.

Providing toilets in every house and teaching people to use them properly is the easy part compared to the rest.

[Gsxrnz]

I wonder what proportion of the world population don't have bum guns?

[MaxYakov]

"Lomborg and other economists have argued for a more systematic approach in spending future global development funds, by analyzing project costs and potential benefits in monetary terms to determine which would deliver the most "bang for the buck.""

Yes, one of my personal concerns these days as well.

Edited July 1, 2015 by MaxYakov

[Emster23]

Does this figure include tourist facilities at Thai beaches?

[sabaii69]

Does this figure include tourist facilities at Thai beaches?

[chuckd]

The world could always solve the problem the Dubai way...with the "poop snake".

[Thongkorn]

I wonder what proportion of the world population don't have bum guns?

I thought that was one of America's first amendment the right to bear arms.

[slipperylobster]

The world could always solve the problem the Dubai way...with the "poop snake".

Where is this "stuff" bound for? I want to make sure I avoid the dumping grounds.

If Poop were Oil......

[chuckd]

The world could always solve the problem the Dubai way...with the "poop snake".

Where is this "stuff" bound for? I want to make sure I avoid the dumping grounds.

If Poop were Oil......

I don't know. Perhaps some of our Dubai residents could follow the scent and fill us in.

Gives a new meaning to the term "heavy crude".

[lvr181]

"There is a kind of a feeling among politicians that, if we ignore the problem it will go away," Any Thai politicians emigrated recently?

[lvr181]

"Lomborg and other economists have argued for a more systematic approach in spending future global development funds, by analyzing project costs and potential benefits in monetary terms to determine which would deliver the most "bang for the buck.""

Yes, one of my personal concerns these days as well.

......will deliver the "most bang for the buck"? Try along Soi 6

After your in depth project analysing the project costs and potential benefits, tell us the name and where she can be found please

Damn, I should be working for the UN on a fat income like the other "hangers on"

[boomerangutang]

India is also a victim of its own population growth, with some 1.26 billion citizens now and counting. That "just wipes out any gains in sanitation, or on any development front," Jacob said.

Well, at least the man had the cojones to hit the bullseye of the underlying problem: OVERPOPULATION.

Overpopulation should be the top topic on every country's agenda. It's more important than global warming, more important than economic or financial issues, more important than suicide bombings. Though it's the most important topic, it's still taboo to mention seriously by any politician.

[wabothai]

The world could always solve the problem the Dubai way...with the "poop snake".

Where is this "stuff" bound for? I want to make sure I avoid the dumping grounds.

If Poop were Oil......

to fertilize the crops.

[zyphodb]

Just a thought... where do you think all the shit from the septic tanks in Thailand goes to ??? Straight from all those little tankers that pump it up into all the rice paddies beside roads all over the country, normally at night oddly enough... makes you think, doesn't it....

[F430murci]

And whose fault is this in this day and age when we can send people into space . . . Lol for 40 + years? We are either dealing with idiots and just very lazy people.

Edited July 1, 2015 by F430murci

[boomerangutang]

Just a thought... where do you think all the shit from the septic tanks in Thailand goes to ??? Straight from all those little tankers that pump it up into all the rice paddies beside roads all over the country, normally at night oddly enough... makes you think, doesn't it....

In a former incarnation, I did septic systems in California. Now residing in Thailand, I took a close look at the pre-fab septic tanks which are sold throughout Thailand - which sit in front of half the hardware stores. They just don't look plausible to me. The intakes are small, with a wire mesh which looks like it would clog after one or (at most) a few months. Do Thais go out and clean out the intake mesh? No.

I have a home-grown method for building septic systems here in Thailand. I've constructed about 14. I could venture to explain the method, but it would take a few pages of text and some diagrams. It doesn't entail buying much, and it works better and (am quite sure) it lasts longer than Thai-style septic systems - for a small fraction of the cost.

Would any Thais be interested? No.

[Chicog]

I'm not sure this is such a big deal. Go to any public or motorway service station toilet and it seems half the population don't even know how to use them.

[ttthailand]

"One-third of world's people still have no proper toilets"

And two-thirds do their business into clean water and flush it away.

If the other 1/3 did same as the 2/3 the world would have much less water to drink.... There's got to be a better way of disposing of our body waste.

[quandow]

I'm not sure this is such a big deal. Go to any public or motorway service station toilet and it seems half the population don't even know how to use them.

Had to take a pic in Roi Et:

[ABCer]

According to my observations half of two thirds of the World who do have toilets -

have a chronic constipation problem.

Question is: "Which one third of the World is happier?"

A special question to the Dubai poop trucks video: " Where do they export all this stuff?"

I simply refuse to believe UAE are throwing away so much nutrients...

[HenryB]

"Lomborg and other economists have argued for a more systematic approach in spending future global development funds, by analyzing project costs and potential benefits in monetary terms to determine which would deliver the most "bang for the buck.""

Yes, one of my personal concerns these days as well.

It is time for tax to be put on the United States of America since its citizens came from all over the world the USA should pay for all the worlds toilets

Edited July 2, 2015 by HenryB

[billd766]

"One-third of world's people still have no proper toilets"

And two-thirds do their business into clean water and flush it away.

If the other 1/3 did same as the 2/3 the world would have much less water to drink.... There's got to be a better way of disposing of our body waste.

[zyphodb]

Just a thought... where do you think all the shit from the septic tanks in Thailand goes to ??? Straight from all those little tankers that pump it up into all the rice paddies beside roads all over the country, normally at night oddly enough... makes you think, doesn't it....

In a former incarnation, I did septic systems in California. Now residing in Thailand, I took a close look at the pre-fab septic tanks which are sold throughout Thailand - which sit in front of half the hardware stores. They just don't look plausible to me. The intakes are small, with a wire mesh which looks like it would clog after one or (at most) a few months. Do Thais go out and clean out the intake mesh? No.

I have a home-grown method for building septic systems here in Thailand. I've constructed about 14. I could venture to explain the method, but it would take a few pages of text and some diagrams. It doesn't entail buying much, and it works better and (am quite sure) it lasts longer than Thai-style septic systems - for a small fraction of the cost.

Would any Thais be interested? No.

Most Thais use 1 Metre wide concrete rings about 1/2 metre deep the bottom one having a sealed concrete floor to it. Dig a hole up to 5metres deep, stack them up, cut a hole for the waste pipe at the top of the second one from the top & put a lid on the top one. This is a fraction of the cost of the prefab ones you see at builders merchants, probably seeps a bit but they don't care about that....

[boomerangutang]

Just a thought... where do you think all the shit from the septic tanks in Thailand goes to ??? Straight from all those little tankers that pump it up into all the rice paddies beside roads all over the country, normally at night oddly enough... makes you think, doesn't it....

In a former incarnation, I did septic systems in California. Now residing in Thailand, I took a close look at the pre-fab septic tanks which are sold throughout Thailand - which sit in front of half the hardware stores. They just don't look plausible to me. The intakes are small, with a wire mesh which looks like it would clog after one or (at most) a few months. Do Thais go out and clean out the intake mesh? No.

I have a home-grown method for building septic systems here in Thailand. I've constructed about 14. I could venture to explain the method, but it would take a few pages of text and some diagrams. It doesn't entail buying much, and it works better and (am quite sure) it lasts longer than Thai-style septic systems - for a small fraction of the cost.

Would any Thais be interested? No.

Most Thais use 1 Metre wide concrete rings about 1/2 metre deep the bottom one having a sealed concrete floor to it. Dig a hole up to 5metres deep, stack them up, cut a hole for the waste pipe at the top of the second one from the top & put a lid on the top one. This is a fraction of the cost of the prefab ones you see at builders merchants, probably seeps a bit but they don't care about that....

Actually, some seepage is good (unless it's near a water well). The stuff's got to go somewhere, it might as well start seeping out of the primary septic tank.

[TPI]

"Lomborg and other economists have argued for a more systematic approach in spending future global development funds, by analyzing project costs and potential benefits in monetary terms to determine which would deliver the most "bang for the buck.""

Yes, one of my personal concerns these days as well.

Yes, more profit, that's what really important, to hell with these nonsense education and health goals. Training workers for the sweat shops is a much better way to go!