Publications Lack of Toilets "One of the Biggest Scandals in the Last 50 Years" Water Forum
| Lack of Toilets "One of the Biggest Scandals in the Last 50 Years" |
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| Written by Tasha EICHENSEHER | |
| Wednesday, 25 March 2009 | |
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by Ms Tasha EICHENSEHER, National Geographic Istanbul, Turkey March 18, 2009 -- Rose George , British author of the 2008 book "The Big Necessity: The Unmentionable World of Human Waste and Why It Matters," tells National Geographic Digital Media Science Editor Tasha Eichenseher why people should care about the 2.5 billion people around the globe who do not have access to a safe, clean place to do their business.
George--pixie-ish, and passionate--is a former editor at Benetton's Colors magazine, where she once worked on an art book showcasing feces. Now, whether consulting for the Gates Foundation or writing op-eds for the New York Times, she is the go-to girl for all issues related to the toilet.
She explains that the lack of sanitation facilities--sophisticated or primitive--in developing countries is "a fundamental health crisis."
Nearly 20 percent of those without facilities practice open defecation, according to Clarissa Brocklehurst, chief of water, sanitation and hygiene at UNICEF , who spoke during a panel discussion at the 5th World Water Forum yesterday. In India alone, there are approximately 665 million people who have no other options.
This is undignified and dangerous, especially for women, who risk rape and snakebite, George says. The resulting water pollution and fecal contamination also carry an enormous health risk, particularly for children, George adds. Brocklehurst called the lack of adequate sanitation for more than a third of the Earth's population "one of the biggest scandals in the last 50 years."
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