WaterAid at the G8 in Japan - blog
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| WaterAid's Policy Officer, Oliver Cumming. |
| Credit: WaterAid |
7 July 2008
This year WaterAid has been lobbying hard for the Japanese Government to put sanitation and water on the agenda at this year's G8 summit, where the leaders of the world's eight richest countries meet to discuss matters of international importance including international development.
Despite promises, from the Japanese Government that sanitation and water would be firmly on the agenda, early indications suggest that other issues may have taken priority.
Current statistics on child mortality may be underestimating how many child deaths are attributable to poor sanitation. To find out more, read our recently published report, Tackling the silent killer: The case for sanitation (
PDF, 1Mb)
Sanitation in the news
Guardian journalist Larry Elliott draws on our recent report highlighting the lack of priority given to sanitation...
BBC journalist Mark Doyle reports on WaterAid's lobbying at the G8 for investment in sanitation...
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Listen to Podcasts from the summit:
Part 1( MP3, 1.9Mb)
Part 2( MP3, 2.3Mb)
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Read WaterAid's Policy Officer Oliver Cumming's thoughts throughout the summit in his daily blog updates:
Day 3
11pm
Well it's now 11:00pm which means it's time for me to turn off the computer and pack up. So, what difference has this all made?
The scale of the sanitation and water crisis is immense and attention and resources need to be mobilised at every level: from the community right up to the global level. What's happened here is one piece of that jigsaw.
The G8 didn't deliver what we're calling for as part of the End Water Poverty Campaign. But water was addressed. And sanitation was addressed. The first faltering steps have been taken. The foundations for change have been laid. And the End Water Poverty campaign was part of this.
Now the same leaders who gather in Japan - the G8 leaders but also the other leaders who attended from Africa and Asia - need to take action.
When the existing evidence suggests that sanitation and water may kill more children than any other factor and whilst historical experience demonstrates the importance of these interventions, the neglect must end.
What difference does this make? If these faltering steps become confident strides, then yes what happened here will have made a difference. The silence was broken, but now we must shout louder.
2.6 billion people are waiting.
8pm
It's 8pm here in Japan and the G8 has now drawn to a close and it's been another long day.
China, India, Brazil, South Africa, Mexico and Indonesia were all here today. These countries are all rapidly growing economic powers representing almost half of the world's citizens - that's a lot of people.
Whilst these economies may be growing, hundreds of millions of people in these countries still do not have access to a toilet. In these same countries, tens of millions are still going to the toilet out in the open - in bushes, on railway tracks, in plastic bags, in the street... People exposed to the risk of attack and the indignity of waiting until darkness falls so that they can go to the toilet.
So, I did the maths. In the eight countries invited to the G8 Summit today, there are 1.7 billion people without toilets. That means that these eight countries represented here today in Japan contain two thirds of the 2.6 billion people who don't have access to sanitation.
Too many regard sanitation as a symptom of poverty - where people are poor they will not have a toilet. But the evidence points to sanitation as a powerful driver of economic development. Rather than waiting for people to become wealthy before they have access to toilets and all the benefits this brings, sanitation itself is a ladder out of poverty.
South Korea was here as well today. South Korea realised universal access to sanitation some time ago with dramatic results. From the 1960's, the Korean government prioritised getting every citizen access to a toilet and a tap. The effect on child mortality and economic development was clear.
As these eight 'emerging economies' sit down with the G8 leaders to discuss the global economic downturn and rising food prices, hopefully they will also consider the huge cost to their economies of not investing in sanitation. More compelling than the cost though is the return: every one dollar invested in sanitation brings nine in returns (UN, 2006).
So investing in sanitation is a double win for governments. Huge health benefits and huge economic benefits. These countries face difficult choices to balance economic growth and human development, sanitation offers a smart choice: a win:win.
Day 2
pm
The Deadly Silence Broken
So it's out. The G8 leader statement on Development and Africa has just been released.
Our initial verdict: better but still a long, long way to go.
The sanitation and water crisis is an urgent concern that is constraining all development efforts now. So, how have the G8 responded to this development crisis:
The G8 recognises?
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Water is important. Sanitation is important.
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Progress must be accelerated.
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Water and sanitation are linked to health, economic growth, and peace and security.
But what action will the G8 take?
Yes, but what will the G8 actually do?
A response that befits a crisis affecting 40% of the world's population? A level of action proportionate to 5,000 child deaths each day? You decide but I don't think so. It is good to see sanitation and water on the agenda of the G8 but at the end of the day will one progress report make a real difference?
And what now? An important step has been taken in Japan. The silence that has masked the sanitation and water crisis has been broken. Now it's on the agenda, mobilising action and resources are the next steps. In September the United Nations High Level Meeting on the Millennium Development Goals provides an opportunity for governments (national and donors) to turn words into action.
am
Day two, the agenda is Climate Change and the G8 have just announced commitments to half greenhouse emissions by 2050. We are waiting to see the full text on this statement but we'll be looking for commitments to address the adaptation needs of the poorest countries most vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
And the statement on yesterday's discussions on Development and Africa has been pushed back to the end of the day. It is this statement that will cover sanitation and water along with other development issues such as health and education.
So what are we expecting? I hate to jump the gun but...
What do we know? Water and sanitation will be mentioned.
What do we suspect? The G8 will fall short on delivering the firm commitments to action that are needed.
And what do we want? The G8 to commit to: a global action plan with provision for an annual review of progress; a global taskforce that can progress chase and take the necessary remedial action; and a commitment that no credible national plans shall fail for lack of financing.
The statement should be out within the hour so I'll stop there. But expect an update very soon.
Day 1
So this it.
After months of speculation and various promises by G8 leaders on what will be addressed here we are in Japan for the Toyako G8 Summit. At a reported cost of £285 million for this three day meeting, expectations are high and the agenda is packed. This year it seems that climate change, oil prices and the food crisis will dominate the discussions.
Today G8 leaders are scheduled to discuss African development issues and this afternoon they will meet with African leaders to agree priority actions. The G8 have an opportunity now to listen and respond to African calls for sanitation and water to be made an urgent priority. Following the Africa Sanitation Conference and the recent Africa Union Summit in Egypt, African governments have repeatedly highlighted the need to address these issues.
So what chance do we have of seeing commitments from the G8 on sanitation and water in Japan? Well, earlier this year, Japan promised that it would use the G8 to play a leading role on sanitation and water. And 2008 is the UN International Year of Sanitation. Now is the time for action but will the G8 leaders be brave enough to tackle this issue when it is so neglected?
Today WaterAid launched a new report on sanitation. The report presents evidence that suggests sanitation may be the biggest killer of children in the world and yet remains as the most neglected development sector. Hopefully this report will remind the G8 that without addressing the neglect of the sanitation sector all other development efforts will be undermined. Not just health, but also education and economic growth are all held back by governments' neglect of this issue.
It seems ironic to be discussing these issues here in Japan - in a country where toilets have electronic sensors and heated seats and cost $5,000! It's a long way from the 2.6 billion people who still have no access to even basic sanitation. Perhaps though when the contrast is so striking this is the right place for the world's richest countries to take action and address this crisis.
Tomorrow we will find out.
More of WaterAid's messages in the news:
Interview with Nigerian journalist
Charlotte Godber, WaterAid's Senior Media Officer - Policy, spoke to Horatius Egua, a Nigerian business journalist about the dissapointing outcome of the G8 summit for water and sanitation and what this means for Nigeria's economic prospects.
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