The Centrality of WASH : Transforming Lives and Achieving Sustainable Development
The Centrality of WASH:
Imagine going to a school without working toilets, having to sit through lessons in 30°C heat without access to water, or knowing that the only water available to drink will make you sick. This was the reality for 17-year-old student Ben in Burkina Faso before Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) improvement initiatives. Ben shares that now students and teachers can get clean water whenever they need it, helping them succeed. Ben’s story demonstrates how clean water changes lives for good.
WASH is fundamental to sustainable development and integral to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Achieving SDG 6 of clean water and sanitation will support the SDGs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 11. For example, improper WASH infrastructure adversely impacts SDG 2: Zero Hunger. Currently, 155 million children under five experience stunting, and 50 million suffer from wasting, with half of these cases linked to infections caused by poor access to WASH.
Despite global efforts, much needs to be done. Today, 703 million people lack clean water close to home, and 1.5 billion lack access to a decent toilet. Not only does this gap have adverse health effects, but it also denies communities and countries the opportunity to reach their full potential, violating people’s human rights to water and sanitation. Achieving SDG 6 goals contributes to SDG 3 of good health and well-being by promoting healthier lives and reducing spread and severity of preventable diseases.
WASH interventions have far-reaching effects, particularly on SDG 4 of quality education and SDG 5 of gender equality. Anjali’s experience in Lahan, Nepal, illustrates the importance of WASH interventions for women and girls. Until recently, Anjali would rather stay home than use the dirty, broken toilet at her school. But with renovated toilet facilities, handwashing stations, and a new menstrual hygiene management room, Anjali is back in the classroom, no matter the time of the month.
The centrality of WASH in sustainable development cannot be overstated. Clean water, decent toilets, and good hygiene are human rights, yet millions are denied this access. Without it, people do not have an equal chance of being healthy, educated, and financially secure.
