World Toilet Day, 19 November 2009
World Toilet Day was established on 19 November 2001 by the World Toilet Organization. Celebrated annually, it seeks to increase awareness of the importance of toilet sanitation and each individual’s right to a safe and hygienic sanitary environment.
This year, Unilever’s Domestos will be the inaugural sponsor of World Toilet Day.
To help raise awareness for the 2.5 billion people who don’t have access to sanitation, thousands of people are going to squat for one minute. All over the world, in malls, in offices, on city streets – everywhere you turn, people will be squatting. And we want you to take part! The Big Squat is just one of many World Toilet Day events.
PumpAid’s in the UK has launched GAS, the Give a Sh*t Campaign, which includes the S*it Song, sung by Lark.
On WaterAid’s World Toilet Day web site you can send a postcard to PM Gordon Brown demanding that he talks toilets with world leaders, or play online Turdlywinks.
Add comment November 5, 2009
World Toilet Summit & Expo, Singapore, 2-4 December 2009
Organised by: World Toilet Organization and MP Asia
World Toilet Summit & Expo (WTSE 2009) will focus on ‘Creating the Blueprint for a Sustainable Sanitation Marketplace’. The three-day Summit will uncover urban and rural perspectives on:
- Creating demand at the bottom-of-the-pyramid (BOP) market
- Designing, engineering and manufacturing of sanitation solutions
- Training and capacity development to ensure sustainability
- Scaling up of sustainable sanitation solutions through social financing mechanisms
The accompanying Expo will showcase sustainable sanitation solutions and urban toilet designs and technology.
Summit presentation topics include:
- World Sanitation Financing Facility (Jon Lane, WSSCC)
- Future of Sanitation (Dr Bindeshwar Pathak, Sulabh International)
- Strategic Partnerships in Upstreaming of Sanitation Programs (Sunoor Verma, Procube International)
- Communication for Sanitation Development (WSSCC)
- Sanitation Marketing
- Sustainable Sanitation Alliance
- Standards & Policies (International Code Council, ICC)
- School Sanitation
- Design Workshop – Design & Technology for Built Environment and Developing Cities
Panel Discussion: A dialogue on the future of sanitation finance (World Toilet Organization) - Financing Sanitation (led by Asian Development Bank)
- Social Entrepreneurship : A Sanitation Economy
- Real Corporate Citizenship
For more information and to register go to the WTSE 2009 web site
October 16, 2009
Urban Rainwater Harvesting, Anil Agarwal Green Centre, India, 03-07 November 2009
Advanced course for working professionals
This course is open to civil engineers, architects, urban planners, environment consultants, municipal water managers, policy makers, government officials and NGOs interested in learning more about the theory, practice and policies of urban water harvesting.
The programme allows you to gain knowledge, acquire holistic perspectives and get hands-on practice in planning and designing urban water harvesting systems . It will help you to solve real-life water problems of today and give you the unique chance to meet and interact with experts and professional in the field of rainwater harvesting.
Course fee: Rs.8,800
Registration deadline: 26 October 2009
October 12, 2009
Decentralised Water Supply and Sanitation, UNESCO-IHE, The Netherlands, 05-23 July 2010
This 3-week course provides theoretical background and practical expertise in the field of low-cost decentralised water supply and sanitation alternatives specifically suitable for the small towns, peri-urban areas and urban slums, small island communities, tourist resorts etc.
Organised by: UNESCO-IHE Instituite for Water Education with guest lecturers from IRC and SANDEC
Target group: Mid-career professionals dealing with planning and management aspects of water supply and sanitation infrastructures, working for municipalities, government ministries, water supply agencies or consulting firms.
Programme:
- Introduction: Module objectives and contents (General introduction to water supply and sanitation situations in small town, peri-urban areas and urban slums etc.)
- Water Supply Systems: Water sources, supply systems, source selection, water supply service levels, spring catchments and sand dams, wells and pumps, rainwater harvesting, small-scale water treatment methods.
- Sanitation Systems: Ecological sanitation (introduction to ecosan, basics of conventional wastewater treatment, relevant treatment technologies, ecosan and agriculture, greywater treatment and reuse, linkages between ecosan and Millennium Development Goals). Faecal Sludge Management, Low-cost Sewerage and Drainage
- Management aspects of DWSS: Participatory planning and evaluation of DWSS systems, financing and cost recovery, institutional arrangements and operation and maintenance aspects.
Course fee: €2250 [fellowships available]
Registration deadline: 05 June 2010
For more information, course brochure and application form, go to the UNESCO-IHE web site
October 12, 2009
Water – Harvesting, Storage and Conservation – WHSC-2009, Kanpur, India, 23-25 November 2009
Organised by: Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur with support from UNICEF
Themes:
Rainwater Harvesting
- Rainwater harvesting techniques for different geo-hydro-thermo regions
- Rainwater harvesting and artificial recharge
- Rainwater harvesting for climate change adaptation and energy saving
- Water quality aspects in rainwater harvesting system
- Ecological and economic impacts of rainwater harvesting
Storage
- Watershed management
- Natural water resources management
- Groundwater flow and contamination management
- Groundwater recharge
- Coastal aquifer management
- GIS for neighborhood-level analysis of rainwater catchment
- Innovative water storage techniques
Conservation
- Water quality and its impact on public health
- Water pollution
- Removal of emerging contaminants from water and wastewater
- Wastewater reclamation, recycle and reuse
- Conventional water-borne sanitation system
- Conventional water-borne sanitation system
- Issues and challenges in dry sanitation
- Challenges in implementing ecological sanitation in developing countries
- Minimizing the use of water in sanitation
Abstract deadline: 20 Oct 2009
Registration deadline: 10 Oct 2009
September 24, 2009
IWA Development Congress, Mexico City, Mexico, 15-19 November 2009
Organised by: International Water Association (IWA) and the Universidad Nacional Antonoma de Mexico (UNAM)
This first IWA Development Congress will focus on what works in water and sanitation service provision in developing countries. There will be technical presentations, coupled with peer-based workshops, an awards programme, book launches, exhibition space, poster presentations, social and networking receptions and technical tours.
The focus of congress is on smart solutions for financing and infrastructure, utility management, institutional development, regulations and policy.
It will bring together 1,000 international water and sanitation professionals including researchers, practitioners, policy makers, consultants, manufacturers, technology suppliers and members of the international development community.
Workshops of special interest include:
- Disaster Response & Recovery (IWA / Unicef / USAID)
- Household water treatment and safe storage (USAID)
- Assurance of supply and sustainability (IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre)
- Water Safety Plans (LAC-WSP-Net/IWA / USEPA / AIDIS / CDC / PAHO / US State Dept)
- Mechanisms of knowledge sharing: from networks to IT Tools (WRC)
- O&M for Sustainable Management of Water Supply and Sanitation Services (O&M Network, IWA, WHO and NIPH)
- Wastewater treatment in developing countries (IWA)
- Water Integrity, Accountability and Transparency (Water Integrity Network – WIN)
- SWASH+ (School Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Plus Community Impact) – (Water for People)
- Water testing in resource poor settings – Aquatest Research Programme
- Water Operators Partnerships (IWA / UN-HABITAT)
For more information and to register go to the web site.
September 23, 2009
2nd IFEH Africa Group All Africa Environmental Health Congress, Lilongwe, Malawi, 24-27 May 2010
Organised by: International Federation of Environmental Health (IFEH), Government of Malawi and University of Malawi
Objectives of the Congress
- Raise the profile of environmental health in Africa
- Sharing best practices of environmental health services delivery in Africa
- Enhance inter-country collaboration in environmental health practice
- Addressing the training needs of environmental health
- Promote the environmental health needs of children in Africa
- Promote environmental health research
The conference sub-themes include water and sanitation, community development, environmental pollution, waste management, environmental health training and development, and climate change.
Abstract deadline: 30 Oct 2009
For more information go to the conference web site
September 21, 2009
Global Handwashing Day, 15 October 2009
Initiated in 2008 by the Global Public-Private Partnership for Handwashing with Soap, Global Handwashing Day is endorsed by a wide array of governments, international institutions, civil society organizations, NGOs, private companies and individuals around the globe.
The driving theme for Global Handwashing Day is children and schools, and the main objectives of this global celebration are:
- Foster and support a global and local culture of handwashing with soap.
- Shine a spotlight on the state of handwashing in each country.
- Raise awareness about the benefits of handwashing with soap
Get involved and download the Global Handwashing Day Planner’s Guide
September 21, 2009
2nd Africa Water Week, Johannesburg, South Africa, 09-13 November 2009
Organised by: African Ministers Council on Water (AMCOW) and the South Africa Department of Water and Environmental Affairs
Held in conjunction with the 7th regular Session of AMCOW, during which South Africa will assume the Chairmanship of AMCOW.
Main theme: “Carrying forward the commitments of Sharm El Sheik on Water and Sanitation: Sprint to the finish”
Sub-themes:
- Financing water and sanitation infrastructure;
- Closing the sanitation gap;
- Mitigating the impact of climate change;
- Managing Africa’s trans-boundary waters;
- Fast-tracking water services.
About 1,000 delegates from the African continent will attend the 5 day event, which will also include:
- announcement of the AMCOW AfricaSan Awards 2009
- exhibition
Side event: SuSanA special seminar “Organizational co-learning for up scaling sustainable sanitation in Sub-Sahara Africa“, 08 Nov 2009
Contact: Mr. Mohale Mopai, tel no. 012 336 8741, E-mail: mopaim@dwaf.gov.za
September 21, 2009
Global CityWater Futures Summit: Learning Alliances for Change, Delft, The Netherlands, 7-10 October 2009
Organised by: SWITCH project
The Summit will bring together over 50 science experts from around the world with practitioners from cities in Africa, Europe, South America, Asia, the Middle East as well as donor groups and international organisations to join forces in accelerating change toward a more sustainable water City of the Future.
Programme:
7 October – Global and Local Initiatives
Keynote presentations by leaders of global and local inititiatives that are making an impact toward more sustainable urban water management.
8 October – Exchanging Knowledge and Experiences
Interactive workshops around the topics of strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, system transitioning and decision making as well as an innovation marketplace of intiatives and new technologies.
9 October – Preparing for a Sustainable Future
Use of case studies and interactive workshops to help cities chart their strategic path to a more sustainable future.
10 October – Visiting Projects That are Making a Difference
A visit to sites in Rotterdam and Culemborg where the ideas of sustainable urban water management are being put into practice.
September 21, 2009
