3
DIGNITY
FOR ALL
A world in which everyone can lead a healthy life in dignity. A world effective way of helping the world’s poorest people address their basic
that offers the chance of personal development for all. This is a sanitary needs.
common dream. According to the 2008 Joint Monitoring Programme There has been remarkable progress in Asia and Latin America in
(JMP) report, published by WHO/UNICEF, the number of people living terms of access to improved sanitation. In Africa, too, the number of
without a supply of improved drinking water has now dropped well people gaining access is rising steadily, but the increase cannot keep
below one billion. pace with population growth. More people, means more waste. It is
More than half the global population now has water piped to its homes that simple.
and the number of people using unimproved water supplies continues to The 2008 JMP report concludes that, at the current rate, the world will
decline. But it is worth noting that very many people are still not familiar miss its Millennium Development Goal (MDG) sanitation target by more
with the statistics or even aware that there is a global sanitation crisis. than 700 million people. If we are to reach the target we need to provide
The African member states have adopted a declaration on water and at least 173 million people per year with access to improved sanitation.
sanitation that builds on the promising Durbane Thekwini declaration and The current food crisis is the latest challenge. It is global in scale and
the first African Water Week declaration. The African Union declaration it impacts at all levels and across many sectors. Rising food and biofuel
shows that African leaders are giving priority to water and sanitation. It production requires vast quantities of water, placing even higher
also provides a solid basis for further developing the sector in Africa. demands on water management.
We are also seeing impressive results on the ground. When I visited We should remember that sanitation is only one aspect of water
Ethiopia, I learned that 1.3 million latrines had been built within 18 management. Reaching MDG seven, target ten, involves many more
months in the country’s Southern Nations province. A Memorandum of elements: transboundary and international cooperation, good
Understanding has been signed between the Ministry of Water Resources, governance and capacity building.
the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education, identifying clearly ‘One world, one dream’ may be a slogan of the Olympic Games, but
the roles and responsibilities of the different partners within the WASH it applies equally to environmental professionals. Let us pursue our
programmes in Ethiopia. goal with the same spirit and determination as top athletes. Silver is no
The Global Sanitation Fund has been launched by the Water Supply and option, we are going for gold!
Sanitation Collaborative Council. The fund offers all types of contributions
(bilateral and multilateral aid organisations, commercial companies, HRH the Prince of Orange, Chair of the United Nations Secretary
charitable foundations and private individuals) an efficient and cost- General’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation
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