I got the chance to go to an AWESOME event on Tuesday that was all about bringing water and sanitation to the top of everyone’s agenda. Water, hygiene and sanitation are major issues around the world. You may have heard these stats already but I am going to share them again.

- 2.5 billion people do not have improved sanitation.

- 1 billion people still openly defecate.

- 780 million people do not have access to clean water supply.

Those facts alone show us why this is such a pressing matter, but I wanted to know more. So my colleague Christina Nunez and I walked around the event and asked some of the audience one of these questions:

What does water mean to you?

Why is Water and Sanitation important in ending extreme poverty?

What should the world do to improve water and sanitation?

What can CITIZENS do to improve water and sanitation this year?

The Permanent Missions of Sweden and the Republic of Benin hosted the event at the United Nations and was put together by a group of partners incluing, WaterAid, the Global Poverty Project, UN Water, SIWI, UNICEF, World Bank Group, UNDP, United Nations Foundation, and the Water & Sanitation Collaborative Council.

So let’s hear what people had to say!

Per Thoresson featured center

“Water is the fundamental link between climate, human society, and the environment,” Per Thoresson, Deputy Permanent Representative of Sweden to the UN (pictured in center).

Alison Sheafeatured to the right

“Access to water grants people the freedom to live their lives to the fullest,” Alison Shea with the Global Poverty Project responded

“While water does indeed fall from the sky, human actions will determine whether it meets our long term needs,” said Dr. Fred Boltz, Managing Director of Ecosystems at the Rockefeller Foundation. He added, "Water is truly at the heart of our sustainable development challenge."

“Without water and sanitation the fight against poverty will not be won,” said Ambassador Jean-Francis R. Zinzou of Benin. He added, “Water is source of life and should not be the source of death.”

Yoka Brandt featured right

“We have a unique opportunity to ensure the Sustainable Development Goals will not fail [children],” said Yoka Brandt, Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF. “Water, sanitation and hygiene are the foundation of development.”

“You can live without food for 40 days, but you cannot live without water for seven days,” H.E. Ambassador. Dr. Caleb Otto, Permanent Representative of Palau. “The biggest advance [needed] in public health is hygiene and sanitation.”

“Before we can address it, we need to first be able to talk about it, that means breaking down the taboo around the fact that 2.5 billion people don’t have access to improved sanitation, and around the fact that 1 billion people still continue to defecate in the open,” said Mick Sheldrick of the Global Poverty Project.

“Water and sanitation should be a basic human right and everyone should understand that they have that right,” said Emily Ross of the UN Foundation. “[We should] make sure that all sectors, the public and the private sectors, are working together to make sure that water and sanitation services are available to everyone.”

“Citizens need to agitate for action,” responded Leith Greenslade, Vice-Chair of the MDG Health Alliance. “First you need to educate yourself, and there’s plenty of information out there now so you can learn about the importance of water and sanitation. But the really important thing is to agitate, write letters, demonstrate, bring groups together to put pressure on governments particularly to invest more in water and sanitation everywhere.”

The conversations were flowing about water (ha ha ha...puns). But it’s clear that sanitation needs to be just as much a priority in the post-2015 international development agenda. The event emphasized that, as the SDGs are being defined, there needs to be a push for ambitious and achievable targets. And sanitation needs to be included just as much as goals for water. We can’t shy away from a little poo!

Join in the fight to ensure that everyone has access and sanitation and sign the petition!