Sanitation Dialogue - The Global Sanitation Crisis: Pathways to Urgent Action

This Sanitation Dialogue cuts across different IWA’s initiatives, programmes and communities. It is jointly organised by IWA’s Inclusive Urban Sanitation Initiative, the Sanitation, Water Management in Low and Middle-Income Countries Specialist Group, and the World Bank.

The World Bank’s new report ‘The Global Sanitation Crisis: Pathways for Urgent Action’ examines the risks poor sanitation poses to people, economic growth and the environment, outlining practical steps that cities can take to accelerate progress toward universal access to resilient, safely managed sanitation.

We have 3.4 billion people lacking safely managed sanitation and no region on track to achieve universal access by 2030, the overall rate of progress needs to increase sixfold to meet the SDG sanitation target.

One third of LMIC urban residents face a ‘triple burden’ of inadequate sanitation, poverty and climate risks, leaving them vulnerable to disease, water scarcity, disasters and economic hardship. Escalating climate-related threats put increasing strain on already fragile sanitation systems.

Investing in resilient urban sanitation, countries can turn this vicious cycle into a virtuous one, where sanitation services withstand extreme events, protect human health, reduce pollution, boost economic growth, create jobs, and transform cities.

The dialogue aims to create a discussion on sanitation, resilience and climate change challenges into actionable opportunities, presenting pathways towards climate-resilient sanitation (CRS). By showcasing city experiences and fostering solution-driven conversations, the webinar will emphasise CRS as an important driver for urban water resilience and city resilience.

Utilities, Local authorities, Policymakers, Regulators, Researchers, Development partners

At the end of this dialogue, participants will be able to appreciate:

• The ‘triple burden’ of inadequate sanitation, climate change, and poverty, and the importance of climate-resilient sanitation (CRS) in combating this burden.
• The links between sanitation and the various dimensions of sustainable development (‘people, prosperity and planet’).
• How urban water resilience concerns are triggering cities to rethink their approaches to sanitation service provision.
• Implementation pathways – including policy, institutional, regulatory, and financing recommendations – for achieving CRS from different city starting-points.