{"id":50864,"date":"2018-07-20T13:29:41","date_gmt":"2018-07-20T17:29:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/?p=50864"},"modified":"2019-02-18T13:54:55","modified_gmt":"2019-02-18T18:54:55","slug":"scale-and-speed-needed-to-make-water-sanitation-and-hygiene-a-reality-for-all","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/blog\/2018\/07\/scale-and-speed-needed-to-make-water-sanitation-and-hygiene-a-reality-for-all\/","title":{"rendered":"Scale and speed needed to make water, sanitation and hygiene a reality for all"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"By Paul Polman<\/strong>,CEO of Unilever,\u00a0vice-chair of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Global Compact<\/em><\/p>\n

In 2015<\/a>, 6.6 billion people (over 90 per cent of the world\u2019s population) used improved drinking water sources and 4.9 billion people used improved sanitation facilities.Progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6), \u2018clean water and sanitation\u2019 for all is being made. However, this progress means little to the 3 in 10 people who still lack individual access to safe, readily available water in their homes or the millions of people who do not wash their hands with soap despite its proven health impact<\/a>.<\/p>\n

These issues will only become worse as water resources become scarcer. In 22 countries, mostly in Northern Africa and Asia, the water stress level is above 70 per cent, indicating the strong probability of future water scarcity<\/a>. Can you imagine the impact this will have on the people who already struggle to access clean water and sanitation? As we see water becoming less and less available, we risk moving backwards rather than forwards. Advances in recent years show that water, hygiene and sanitation for all can be achieved, but we must move faster.<\/p>\n

Unilever is already half way to achieving our target of reaching a billion people with our Lifebuoy handwashing programme. We\u2019ve progressed by partnering with others on initiatives such as school programmes and neo-natal health projects.\u00a0 We worked on innovative new consortium models, such as the South Asia WASH Results Program<\/a> which was the first payment-by-results model to fund WASH projects based on their impact. The initiative exceeded expectations and resulted in improved handwashing with soap for over 7 million people. \u00a0In addition, we\u2019re making great progress towards helping 25 million people gain access to toilets through initiatives such as Domestos\u2019 partnership with Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵICEF<\/a>, which has already reached over 10 million people.<\/p>\n

Industry partnerships like the Toilet Board Coalition (TBC) are also critical to driving change.\u00a0 The TBC is a global, business-led coalition of leading companies, government agencies, sanitation experts and non-profit organisations.\u00a0 It supports commercially viable businesses at every point of the Sanitation Economy:\u00a0 infrastructure, service providers, collection and treatment.\u00a0 The power of partnerships is also why we are one of more than 120 companies that endorses the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Global Compact\u2019s CEO Water Mandate, committing to shared ownership and responsibility for water.<\/p>\n

We know it\u2019s not just about absolute numbers but the additional impact of behaviour change interventions, capacity building and advocacy.<\/p>\n

Speedy deployment at scale happens when the private sector, Governments and NGOs work symbiotically. Look at the huge advances with India\u2019s Swachh Bharat programme to revolutionise WASH across the country with many stakeholders joining forces. \u00a0Hindustan Unilever\u2019s national \u201cPlaying Billion\u201d campaign promotes three simple hygiene habits to promote good health and hygiene practices among children. Lifebuoy is partnering with Gavi, the Global Vaccine Alliance, on an innovative partnership in India that will reach millions of people.\u00a0 Together, we\u2019re promoting the dual benefits of handwashing with soap and immunisation — two of the most cost-effective ways to help improve child survival.<\/p>\n

If we are to achieve SDG 6 we must think bigger, focussing not on small steps or individual programmes but on transformation. To accelerate progress for the WASH agenda and subsequently for the SDG agenda, we must use the High Level Political Forum to bring together the right partners who want to act now and push boundaries.<\/p>\n

We have the interventions. We have the pilots that prove that these interventions work. We have the investment and the technology. Now we must work together to scale these interventions to impact those who are the hardest to reach and truly ensure clean water and sanitation for all.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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