State of the World’s Sanitation: An urgent call to transform sanitation for better health, environments, economies and societies.

The world is alarmingly off-track to deliver sanitation for all by 2030. Despite progress, over half of the world’s population, 4.2 billion people, use sanitation services that leave human waste untreated, threatening human and environmental health. The consequences of poor sanitation are devastating to public health and social and economic development. The rate of progress needs to quadruple to achieve the SDG sanitation targets. At the current rates it will be the twenty-second century before sanitation for all is a reality. Clearly this is too slow. While the challenge is significant, history shows it is possible. Many countries have made rapid progress within a generation, transforming lives, the environment and the economy. Every country that has made rapid progress has had strong political leadership. Achieving universal access to safe sanitation will be expensive, but inaction brings greater costs. Investments in sanitation generate positive externalities across society. The economic benefits of sanitation are five times the cost. Strong government leadership on sanitation ensures all of society reaps the benefits. Investment in five key ‘accelerators’ identified under the UN-Water SDG 6 Global Acceleration Framework – can be a pathway forward. 1. Good GOVERNANCE begins with leadership, effective coordinator and regulation Governments must establish institutions to coordinate and regulate the activities. Sanitation must be included in national policies, strategies and plans backed by human and financial resources. Plans must recognize delivery through a mix of systems tailored to the local context. Regulation is key to managing risk while also developing effective responses. 2. Smart PUBLIC FINANCE unlocks effective household and private investment. Most countries have insufficient resources to meet their national targets. Governments can access and combine, taxes, transfers from external donors, and tariffs and user fees and must be used strategically to attract and optimize other investments, recognizing that most funding for sanitation comes from households themselves. Repayable finance such as loans, bonds and other financing instruments and public-private partnerships can be mobilized. 3. CAPACITY at all levels drives progress and sustains services. A strong sanitation sector will require a bigger workforce with better skills. Capacity development is more than training. It encompasses human resource and organizational development, resourcing and research. New approaches to sanitation requires local government and utilities to have the necessary capacity to oversee and deliver more service oriented sanitation and cost recovery mechanisms. 4. RELIABLE DATA supports better decision making and stronger accountability. Comprehensive data is required on each aspect of the sanitation chain. Reliable, consistent and, wherever possible, disaggregated data are essential to stimulate political commitment, inform policy-making and decision-making, and enable well targeted investments that maximize health, environmental and economic gains. 5. INNOVATION leads to better approaches and meets emerging challenges. New approaches and systems can ‘future-proof’ the sector against disease outbreaks, urbanization, climate change and increasing pressure on natural resources, with solutions that are practical, cost-effective and scalable. Governments must think beyond conventional sewage systems and enable innovation through regulation that reduces risk but do not stifle new ideas and entrepreneurship.