World Toilet Day 2023: Theme, Significance, History & Celebration

World Toilet Day is a day of international observance designated by the United Nations to tackle the crisis of global sanitation. It is observed by people all around the world on November 19 with events planned by the UN, many national and international organizations, local civil society organizations and volunteers. The main aim is to raise awareness and inspire action to handle the sanitation crisis. World Toilet Day 2023 is being observed on Sunday, November 19, 2023, with the same objective.

World Toilet Day 2023 Date

Check below the date for celebration of world toilet day:

World Toilet Day 2023 Overview

Significance of World Toilet Day

More than 3.6 billion people live with poor quality toilets even in this modern era. This can ruin their health and it also pollutes the environment. Lack of proper sanitation systems spread human waste into soil, lakes and river, thus contaminating the water resources under our feet. Our planet is currently facing global sanitation crisis and there is an urgent need to raise awareness against the crisis.

Safely managed sanitation systems can protect groundwater from getting polluted by human waste. For this, it is crucial that everyone has access to a toilet connected to a sanitation system that effectively removes and treats human waste. World Toilet Day 2023 will be celebrated to focus on the impact of the sanitation crisis on groundwater.

World Toilet Day 2023 Campaign

The campaign of World Toilet Day 2023 focuses on tackling the global sanitation crisis. Last year, it was observed with the campaign ‘Making the invisible visible’. The campaign explores how human waste is spread into rivers, lakes and soil, due to lack of inadequate sanitation systems and is polluting underground water resources. Just because the underground water is not visible to us does not mean that the problem is invisible too. Thus, the Making the invisible visible campaign is launched to focus on the invisible pollution that is going on. The issue is also invisible because it usually happens in the poorest and most marginalized communities that most of us choose to ignore.

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The campaign urges governments to work at least four times faster to ensure that Sustainable Development Goal 6.2 is achieved on time. Policymakers are also called upon to identify the connection between sanitation and groundwater in their plans to safeguard this important resource of water.

History of World Toilet Day

The non-governmental World Toilet Organization (WTO) was established in 2001 by a Singaporean philanthropist Jack Sim. Initial declaration to observe World Toilet Day on November 19 was suggested by Jack and the WTO started pushing for global recognition for the day. The cause was supported and joined by the Sustainable Sanitation Alliance (SuSanA) in 2007. their efforts was rewarded when the United Nations turned its attention towards the sanitation crisis and the right to water and sanitation was officially declared a human right by the UN in 2010.

A resolution named ‘Sanitation for All’ was passed in the United Nations with the joint efforts of the Government of Singapore and the World Toilet Organization in 2013. The resolution was adopted by 122 countries at the 67th session of the UN General Assembly in New York and thus World Toilet Day came into effect in 2013.

World Toilet Day Organization

The World Toilet Organization (WTO) was formed in 2001 by Jack Sim and is a global non-profit organization. The aim of the organization is to improve toilet and sanitation conditions worldwide. When established, the organization only had 15 members that has now grown to 151 member organizations in 53 countries. The WTO initiated the celebration of United Nations World Toilet Day and also organizes events like World Toilet Summit and the Urgent Run. A heart shaped toilet which moves slightly up and down is the logo of the World Toilet Organization.

World Toilet Day 2023 Theme & Celebration

The theme of World Toilet Day 2023 is ‘Accelerating Change’. It is being celebrated on November 19, 2023 with events and activities organized by different government and local organizations. These activities will be focused on spreading awareness of importance of sanitation and how it helps preserve the quality of groundwater and thus the environment overall.

Groundwater and sanitation- making the invisible was the theme for World Toilet Day 2022 and it was focused on the impact of the sanitation crisis on groundwater. The same annual theme was used for World Water Day celebration too.

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