HEALTH AND SANITATION 33
How Can IWSH Contribute Toward the United Nations ’ Sustainable Development Goals and What Can the Foundation Do to Best Lead by Example ?
By
Seanna Kryger
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are a set of goals developed in 2015 outlining a vision of peace for the planet and for the people on it . These goals call for all countries from the Global North and the Global South to begin tackling poverty and climate change , reducing inequalities , and improving access to health and education services . The International Water , Sanitation and Hygiene Foundation ( IWSH ) is an international foundation working hard to achieve many of the Sustainable Development Goals .
IWSH is currently working toward Sustainable Development Goal No . 6 : Clean Water and Sanitation , with many ongoing projects contributing to its mission . However , access to safe water is not where it should end . With climate change becoming a new reality , it ’ s integral to begin to look to modify our current system to render it more sustainable . Investing in sustainable plumbing materials , eco-friendly appliances and recycling water and materials would help IWSH to lead by example by focusing on Sustainable Development Goal No . 11 : Sustainable Cities and Communities .
The Importance of Providing Clean Water and Sanitation Simply put , clean water is a human right . Yet , there are more than two billion people around the globe who lack access to clean drinking water and another 4.5 billion people without access to proper sanitation water . Without access to safe water and sanitation , the risk of disease increases significantly ; inadequate sanitation and hygiene are related to approximately 50 infectious diseases , with the deadliest killing 580,000 children under 5 years old every year . A study done by Inoue and Ogasawara found that clean water caused a 40 % decline in mortality rates from certain diseases between 1900 and the 1940s . The importance of working toward Sustainable Development Goal No . 6 is apparent . This year alone , IWSH has worked all across North America , Asia , Australia , Europe , and Africa on various projects to build safe water and sanitation systems and educate individuals on plumbing and the importance of safe water .
Image by Freepik
Current IWSH Projects Educating Youth To advance Sustainable Development Goal No . 6 : Clean Water and Sanitation , IWSH has begun to work with youth in New Mexico and India , teaching the new generation how to implement safe water systems in their communities . By reaching out to the youth and teaching them the necessary skills , IWSH is supplying communities with the tools needed to be self-reliant regarding their water systems , especially in underprivileged areas . Recently , IWSH created a plumbing program for the Navajo Technical University , making a big impact in the community for years to come .
Collaborating With Indigenous Communities IWSH has also worked extensively with indigenous communities to improve the water systems on their reserves . A study done in 2018 found that 39 % of wells on a reservation in Montana were unsafe due to high amounts of unsafe chemicals . Typical sewage systems will not work in these areas , either , due to soil quality and high cost , meaning IWSH has been making innovative steps to help these communities work toward achieving safe water and sanitation . IWSH has also begun collaborating with indigenous communities in Australia , establishing
The public must be educated about safe water and sanitation .
David Viola , IAPMO CEO
In the spirit of the sharing of unique experiences that shape the plumbing industries in our respective nations , the following essay was a runner-up in IAPMO ’ s 2023 annual Scholarship Essay Competition . First introduced in 2009 and open to any student actively enrolled in a high school , community college , trade school , four-year accredited college or university or working in an apprentice program , the competition has elicited entries from all over the world . Written by Seanna Kryger of George Brown College in Toronto , Ontario , Canada , it is the next in a regular series of similar articles that will run in this magazine .
Dave Viola IAPMO CEO
November 2024 Volume 30 I Number 9 www . plumbingafrica . co . za