The requirements of women and girls are too often ignored in the planning and design of toilets, leaving them unable to use the toilet where and when needed. Women have different sanitation requirements, for instance during menstruation, pregnancy and after menopause, that should be considered when designing and building public toilets. Of particular importance is […]
In some of the poorest urban communities of Nairobi, residents currently spend one-fifth of their income procuring humanity’s most basic need: water. As the city’s low-income communities grow in size, and as inequality becomes more pronounced, so it becomes more important to tackle this most vital issue in a comprehensive fashion. Policymakers, NGOs, the private […]
Next week, WSUP will be discussing inclusive citywide sanitation, designing practice-relevant WASH research, and how to support the development of sanitation businesses at the Water & Health Conference: Where Science Meets Policy, at the University of North Carolina. The Water & Health Conference will take place from 29 October – 2 November, exploring global issues […]
The practice of handwashing with soap is a vital habit; it prevents diseases and saves lives. In the cities where WSUP works, it is not uncommon to have just one functioning toilet for every 300 children. And cramped urban schools can be a focal point of disease. Handwashing with soap is therefore a key way […]
By Sam Drabble, Head of Research and Learning One purpose of global conferences like World Water Week, Stockholm, is to provide insights into new approaches and ways of thinking that are driving progress in the sector. In recent years, WSUP has observed (and welcomed!) an increased emphasis on “systems change” at these events. A necessary […]
The Skoll Foundation has published a blog on WSUP’s highly successful project in Visakhapatnam and how its experiences can inform future work towards achieving universal access to sanitation in India. By Neil Jeffery, Chief Executive, Water & Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP) Half of the one billion people in the world who still defecate in […]
WSUP has published a new report, Promoting water security at the city level: lessons from Lusaka. Managing water resources in the face of rapid urbanisation is a challenge for cities across the world. In Lusaka, Zambia, authorities mandated to provide safe water face multiple challenges, including a rapidly expanding population and frequent cholera outbreaks that […]
The World Bank has published a blog on WSUP’s work on shared sanitation in Maputo, Mozambique, demonstrating how well-designed shared facilities can make a difference to people’s dignity, privacy and health. The feature coincides with World Water Week, where the World Bank, WSUP and other partners discussed “Shared sanitation: when individual toilets aren’t enough”. In […]
Water & Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP) has formed a partnership with Eastern and Southern African Water and Sanitation Regulators Association (ESAWAS) to help strengthen the delivery of services to the poorest urban residents. The collaboration will help to improve national regulatory frameworks, based on international standards, to assist how water and sanitation utilities […]
What does your ideal toilet look like? Gold-plated, maybe musical? Or a loo with a view? Whatever your personal idiosyncrasies, it’s unlikely that you’re imagining a toilet that you are forced to share with hundreds of other people throughout the day. But for that’s the reality for millions of people living in densely-populated urban areas […]