High-Level Panel on Water and Sanitation
At present, insufficient attention is paid by decision makers, investors and economic planners to the vast range of opportunities that exist in tackling the sanitation crisis in the world. Solutions presented for developing countries often focus on the smallest units (i.e., taps and toilets) and often ignore the increasing need for large-scale solutions (i.e., distribution networks, treatment facilities, management and institutions). There is currently an urgent need to bring together the variety of approaches and ideas that exist on sanitation and “water manufacturing” and to provide clear policy and investment guidance that can be picked up by decision makers. Addressing this need would help to accelerate the efforts in reaching the MDGs and in providing solutions to the sanitation and water challenges at scale in many places around the world.
The third edition of the UN Water Development Report, released during the 5th World Water Forum, made it clear that while access to water in much of the world has improved, access to safe sanitation has not. Benefitting from a wide range of regional representation, this Panel discussed the impact that the International Year of Sanitation had on gaining greater political momentum for sanitation issues. It went on to discuss some of the daunting challenges of megacities and pollution in industrialized areas and coastal zones. Indeed, experts are urging development agencies to move beyond the traditional paradigm of water-borne sewage and flush toilets to explore creative approaches that employ diverse, appropriate technology and policies. It was also evidenced that small investments in preventative measures bear massive returns in health and prosperity.