Global Sanitation Challenges
3.4 billion people worldwide lack access to safe sanitation.
The scale of the problem globally
Globally, unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene are responsible for the deaths of around 1,000 children under 5 every day. Without access to safe sanitation, people are exposed to preventable diseases such as cholera, typhoid and diarrhoea that contribute to illness, malnutrition and stunted growth. In addition to the health consequences, it also undermines their dignity, safety, education and economic opportunities: particularly for women and girls. [UNICEF]
Why the gap persists
The traditional solution of connecting every home to a network of sewers in some countries and regions is prohibitively expensive as it requires a reliable water supply and decades of capital investment in infrastructure. Closing this gap relies on sanitation technology that doesn’t require this extensive infrastructure.
Where Reinvented Toilet Technologies fits in
Reinvented toilet technologies (RTTs) are non-sewered sanitation systems that are designed to: remove pathogens and environmental contaminants, regenerate water, and operate fully off-grid without sewer systems or piped water.
RTTs effectively leapfrog the need to have an extensive sewer network and treatment plants, and allow access to safe sanitation for communities around the world.
The Challenge
The Flush Forward Challenge is using the UK as a launchpad for global scaling. With mature regulations and established markets, the UK offers the right conditions to build trust in these technologies, helping establish a market that can bring down costs and make safe sanitation affordable worldwide.