A spotlight on the circular sanitation economy at the UN 2023 Water Conference

Nigeria, WTO and SHF host official side event on Catalysing sanitation economies to deliver on SDG Target 6.2

The Federal Republic of Nigeria, the World Toilet Organization (WTO) and SHF joined forces to highlight innovative approaches to tackle the global sanitation, hygiene and menstrual health crisis at the recent UN 2023 Water Conference, the first conference of water and water related issues to take place in almost 50 years.

Bringing together experts from governments, the private sector and the UN, the joint Side Event- Catalysing the Circular Sanitation Economy to deliver on SDG Target 6.2: Partnering with countries to achieve climate resilience, gender equity and water security through innovative financing in sanitation- showcased how countries and the global community can accelerate progress towards SDG target 6.2 through a sharp focus on innovative financing, cross-sectoral and gender-inclusive partnerships, and scalability of local solutions.

Sanitation, hygiene and menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) products and services provide economic value and livelihood opportunities for individuals and the wider economy, with long-term health, educational, environmental and equity returns. Investment in the sanitation economy, from both public and private sectors, has the potential to revolutionize how people receive and value sanitation, hygiene and MHH. The Sanitation Economy provides a sustainable and complementary solution, monetizing toilet provision, products and services, biological resources, health data and information, to provide benefits across business and society.

New estimates released, for the first time, ahead of the session, revealed the estimated economic value of these sectors and immense opportunities they represent towards progressing universal access. Through the interventions, and in line with SHF’s work on the ground, the session demonstrated the potential of the sanitation economy and menstrual hygiene marketplace and how they can be drivers for economic growth, attracting investments and closing the sanitation, hygiene and MHH gaps. You can read a summary of the side event here. 

Watch the recording here:

Details of the session are as follows:

Title: Catalysing the Circular Sanitation Economy to deliver on SDG Target 6.2
Partnering with countries to achieve climate resilience, gender equity and water security through innovative financing in sanitation
Event ID: HQ162

Date: Friday, 24 March 2023
Time: 11am-12:15pm EDT
Venue: UN HQ NYC, Side Event Room 5
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Panelists

• Honourable Minister Engineer Suleiman H. Adamu, Minister of Water Resources of the Republic of Nigeria
• Mr Jingdong Hua, Former Vice-President and Treasurer of the World Bank and of the International Finance Corporation, SHF Board member
• Mr Jack Sim, Founder of the World Toilet Organisation and World Toilet Day
• Ms Kitty van der Heijden, Director General for International Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Netherlands
• Ms. Lara Blanco, Officer-in-Charge of the Sustainable Development Unit in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General
• Ms Ana Carolina Argolo Nascimento de Castro, Director of Brazil’s National Water and Sanitation Agency (ANA)
• Ms. Nazneen Damji, Chief a.i. of the Governance and Participation Section, UN Women.