In the aftermath of the World Toilet Day, large-scale adoption of wastewater recycling is critical in helping Kenya and other developing countries in Africa achieve universal safe sanitation for her population and ultimately preserve the environment and fight climate change according to Davis & Shirtliff Business Development and Marketing Director Edward Davis.
World Toilet Day which is marked on November 19 every year celebrates toilets and raises awareness of the 4.2 billion people living without access to safely managed sanitation.
It is about taking action to tackle the global sanitation crisis and achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: water and sanitation for all by 2030.
The water and energy solutions provider in East Africa says both governments non-governmental and private sector players need to pull a working collaborative effort to accelerate the adoption of smart technologies that will power populations to use water responsibly and recycle wastewater in a sustainable manner. It is estimated that approximately 21 million Kenyans or 40 percent of the country’s population use unsanitary or shared latrines
“Strategic partnerships will help us move faster towards achieving sustainable, affordable and scalable water and sanitation solutions to support communities build resilience, minimise effects of climate change and improve livelihoods,” said Mr Davis.
He further said everyone has a role to play in addressing climate change as the World celebrates World Toilet Day 2020.
This year’s theme, ‘Sustainable Sanitation and Climate Change’, explores the link between water and climate change as population growth continues to exert pressure on diminishing natural resources as demand for water rises faster than its produced.
According to the United Nations, “sustainable sanitation begins with a toilet that effectively captures human waste in a safe, accessible and dignified setting. The waste then gets stored in a tank, which can be emptied later by a collection service, or transported away by pipework. The next stage is treatment and safe disposal.”
“Safe reuse of wastewater helps save water, reduces and captures greenhouse gas emissions for energy production, and can provide agriculture with a reliable source of water and nutrients,” Davis said in Nairobi.
He further added that we need to take advantage of goodwill from a number of organizations who have shown interest in adoption of smart water solution and sustainable water use to push us to the next phase of implementation to ensure benefits are realised early and avert crises that might be costly in the long-run.
“While this is an indication of increased interest in supporting sustainable use and re-use of water resources, different actors need to consider harnessing the power of technology to cut down on power usage and solutions that will help to manage infrastructure efficiently at minimal cost,” he said.
He urged different actors to always draw inspiration to the future we all want guided by the big goal of continuously improving water use efficiency in production processes to protect shared water resources and widening access to clean water and sanitation in the communities where we operate in.
“Water conservation requires a multi-disciplinary and multi-stakeholder approach and the joint involvement of all these organizations spells good fortunes not only for the industries but for the wellbeing of the populations,” Davis concluded.
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