"My dream is for the whole world to work together to enable everyone to enjoy sanitary, cultural, and environment-friendly toilets." Toilets are essential to the proper disposal of waste and water management. Nevertheless, they are often eclipsed by broader social issues such as 'sanitation' or 'public health.' Even in everyday parlance, toilets are typically alluded to, rather than referred to directly. However, by emphasizing the central and crucial role toilets play in daily life, proper sanitation, and hygiene, the WTA seeks to propel the topic of toilets to the forefront.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 2.6 billion people.an astounding 42% of the world population.lack access to basic sanitation. Due to this, more than 2 million people die each year from diseases associated with poor water and sanitation conditions. Research by organizations such as the UNEP has shown that related diseases and deaths can be reduced by more than 75% with proper sanitation and water management. Moreover, our own research has shown that inadequate attention to toilet technology in developed nations results in a significant amount of wasted water. Despite such warnings, however, improved toilets have not yet been recognized as a fundamental and crucial solution.
As a result, there are very few international organizations that are dedicated to solving the world's toilet and sanitation problems. The WTA is thus a forerunner in its attempts to impact lives by revolutionizing toilets. In line with the United Nation's Millennium Development Goals and the initiatives pursued through its 2008 International Year of Sanitation, the WTA aims to aid in the progress of global sanitation and hygiene.
Less than sixty years ago, South Korea was a war-ravaged, underdeveloped nation with extremely poor toilet and sanitation conditions; by 2002, however, Korea spearheaded what many international commentators proclaimed to be a "Toilet Revolution." Through various citizens' campaigns and the support of interested groups, Korea was able to improve its facilities and create a healthier, more sanitary toilet culture and environment. The WTA strives to generate this type of success story worldwide.
The WTA recognizes that sensitivity to social and cultural contexts is crucial in raising awareness and effecting change. In order to serve the diversity of people's needs throughout the world, the World Toilet Association focuses on the multidimensional uses and connotations of toilets. For some, toilets are much more than a place of waste; clean and aesthetically pleasing toilets serve as sanctuaries, and are a marker of cultural advancement in modern societies. For others, the very existence of toilets is a luxury, and much too often, a matter of life and death. By assessing the specific needs of each society and working with the relevant stakeholders, the WTA actively supports advancing the state of toilet and sanitation conditions throughout the world. The future of the environment, health, and happiness depends upon a toilet revolution!
