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Approaches for Bridging the Sanitation Gap in Asian Cities
Sunday 17 August
Lunch Side Event
Convenor: United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN--HABITAT) and Asian Development Bank (ADB)
Official statistics suggest that somewhere in the order of 2.4 billion people do not have access to “improved” sanitation. Eighty percent (1.9 billion) live in Asia, 13 percent (0.3 billion) in Africa, and 5 percent (0.1 billion) in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The “governing” target for sanitation was agreed at the WSSD in Johannesburg; to halve the proportion of people without access to basic sanitation by 2015. Importantly the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation also called for an improvement in sanitation in public institutions especially schools. This target really means that at least 1.47 billion additional people need to gain access to basic sanitation before 2015. As a whole this target means doubling the rate of progress of the last decade in rural areas. For urban areas, it means even more – since it is here that the current numbers almost certainly underestimate the lack of access experienced by slum dwellers and those who live on the margins of cities and towns.
Numerically the biggest challenge appears to be in Asia where some 330 million urban dwellers currently have no access to sanitation; serving them along with new populations moving to the cities and towns of the region would significantly improve global access in urban areas. This event will focus on different approaches for achieving the MDG Sanitation Target by 2015 and universal and sustainable access to sanitation for all the residents of urban areas particularly the urban poor in the long run. As an outcome, the event shall raise awareness on the issues and challenges in meeting the sanitation targets in the urbanising world and the possible and sustainable solutions to fill the gap. It will also share experiences on local actions to provide sustainable sanitation solutions for adequate Sanitation to the growing numbers of urban residents, especially the urban poor.
Side Event Programme 12:05-13:25 Room K16/K17
Chair: Mr. Andre Dzikus, Chief, WSS-II, WSIB, UN-HABITAT Nairobi
12:00 |
Bridging the Gap – Short Film as a Curtain Raiser |
12:10 |
Welcome and Introduction by Chair
Mr. Andre Dzikus, Chief, WSS-II, WSIB, UN-HABITAT Nairobi |
12:15 |
Affordable and appropriate technologies and various approaches for providing sustainable sanitation solutions to the urban poor particularly those living in slums and squatter settlements
Mr. Andre Dzikus, Chief, WSS-II, UN-HABITAT |
12:30 |
Sustainable sanitation for cities – making innovative alternatives known better
Mr. Christoph Luethi Eawag, and SuSanA WG “Sustainable sanitation for cities” |
12:40 |
Scaling up Sanitation provision by integrating Sanitation with poverty reduction strategies.
UN-HABITAT
Mr. Jack Sim, World Toilet Organisation, Singapore
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12:50 |
Mobilising domestic resources through budgetary allocations, leveraging of community and private sector resources, micro-financing and direct involvement of households for more sustainable solutions
Mr. S. Sridhar, CMD, National Housing Bank, India |
13:00 |
Role of women in Addressing the challenge of gender biases and social inequities
Dr. Sara Ahmed, Chairperson, Gender Water Alliance, India |
13:10 |
International support and partnerships for financial initiatives & information networks
Dr. K.E. Seetharam, Director, Institute of Water Policy, Singapore |
13:20 |
Open House Discussion and Panel Debate |
13:30 |
Close of Side Event |
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