March 22 marks World Water Day and the theme for 2008 is sanitation. Sometimes overlooked in the drive to bring clean water to those that need it is the fact that after that water has been used, it must be cleaned and purified before it can re-enter the environment. In addition to drinking, water is used to wash our clothes, clean our homes and carry away our wastes. In all of these cases, the water removes impurities and transports those impurities for us; making clean our clothes, our homes and our bodies.

Even in the most pristine environments where pesticides, chemicals, dyes and detergents are not a concern, human sweat and oils, our excrement and even common soil (dirt) will contaminate used water; this is especially true in areas of water scarcity. In these areas, water is used sparingly and, as a result, the contaminants can be found in higher concentrations in wastewater. Factor back in the pesticides and chemicals that are commonly used to improve farming and life in so much of the world and what results is a recipe for trouble. If left untreated, our wastewater becomes a nursery for disease and a toxin for fish, wildlife and many plants.

As a result of these concerns, the UN has chosen to focus many of the 2008 activities and workshops on sanitation. There is a concern in the General Assembly that the progress on bringing sanitation to the developing world is lagging behind the drive to deliver and develop water resources. To address this perceived deficiency, the General Assembly has directed the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) to work with other UN agencies, the private sector and academia in raising awareness and accelerating progress on sanitation.

Much of the push by these groups has focused on talking to – and teaching – the people who’s lives are touched by sanitation issues. At a recent workshop in Bangladesh, participants of the South Asia Sanitation and Hygiene Practitioners identified reaching the poor and those in rural areas as their top priority. The consensus of the group was that reaching those most at risk must guide partnerships and resource allocation. Once the message is reaching the right ears, their group went on to say that the local governments and the communities should be funded at levels that not only provide access to water, but also sustain the systems needed to provide adequate sanitation as well. The workgroup came to the conclusion that without a sustainable sanitation solution, whatever was implemented in the communities would inevitably fail to address the needs of the people.

In Senegal, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is focusing on what probably seems like an afterthought for many who are reading this: separate latrines for girls and boys. Many of us take this forgranted, but in the developing world, limited resources often mean limited facilities. Compound the situation with social phobias and taboos and young girls become at greater risk of disease. UNICEF is addressing the problem quite simply: build a second latrine at the school. By constructing girls’ latrines on the grounds of the local schools, UNICEF is bringing sanitary conditions to the other half of the children who need it the most.

UNICEF’s effort shows us that it doesn’t take ‘rocket science’ to make a big impact on sanitation at the local level. So whether you chose to attend a workshop, perform service or simply mark the day with friends and colleagues, take a moment to ponder what you can do to improve the lives of those in your community – and those around the globe.

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