“World Toilet Day” was declared by the World Toilet Organisation for the first time on the 19th November 2001. In the struggle for sanitation, and on the proposal of Singapore, this date was unanimously declared the United Nations “World Toilet Day” at the United Nations General Assembly on the 24th July 2013. The background to this is the lack of sufficient hygienic sanitation for more than 40 per cent of the world population, and, as a result of this, polluted water and waterborne diseases, which has health and negative socio-economic consequences. Since 2001, the World Toilet Organisation has also held the World Toilet Summit once a year. In 2006, this major support event of World Toilet Day took place in Bangkok under the motto “Happy Toilet, Healthy Life”.

Existing ECOSAN systems such as the stationary “Lärche (Larch) System” and the “Mobile System” are already being employed in this form or as modified versions. A large-scale version based on a container is to be developed in order to further optimise the range of toilets and operate them locally in cooperation with partners. Here, efforts are currently being made both at national and international level to also promote the development of these systems with government support measures. In this context, GIZ has to be mentioned with its international activities and engagement and its sponsoring platforms. Further activities by sponsors and developers have to be organised in addition to maintain vigorous efforts in this area and score success in the medium term in establishing a worldwide provision of ecological alternatives and also ensure sufficient sanitation in the regions of the “Global South”.

Sewage disposal methods such as the combined system of sewage treatment with downstream multi-level sewage treatment plants, which is widespread in industrialised countries, require major investments in the large-dimensioned canalisation constructions. Because of their high water consumption, which would further aggravate the already feared water crisis, they have to be ruled out as an across-the-board solution for example in arid developing countries. Ecological systems like ECOSAN offer an innovative solution. Although these systems are being increasingly employed, intensive efforts have to be made to ensure sufficient sewage treatment worldwide as quickly as possible.