2015 target for achieving basic sanitary
facilities not far off
2008: International Sanitation Year
With its knowledge and experience in the field of sanitation Royal Haskoning is making an active contribution to International Sanitation Year—and to the Millennium Objectives. The aim is to halve the number of people without basic sanitary facilities before 2015. We think this target can only be achieved if governments, donors, NGOs and commercial organizations combine their strengths and start implementation as soon as possible.
Almost 40 percent of the world’s population do not have access to basic sanitary facilities. No clean, safe toilets, no good sewer systems and no personal hygiene. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 1.8 million people die of diarrhoea every year as a consequence of unhygienic conditions. Every day nearly 5,500 children die from illnesses caused by contaminated food and water. In order to focus attention on this urgent problem the United Nations has proclaimed 2008 International Sanitation Year.
Royal Haskoning is concentrating on speeding up the construction of the necessary infrastructure by working with Rabobank to combine two well-known concepts— meso-financing and public private partnership. We will also be attending conferences, discussions and seminars about what the Dutch water sector in general and Royal Haskoning in particular can contribute. And, among other things, we are working on a sanitation project in the town of Pekanbaru, in Indonesia.
Go to www.royalhaskoning.com for more information about Royal Haskoning’s contribution to International Sanitation Year, and click on the special link.
| UN Objectives |
| To raise awareness about the importance of sanitation and the impact on the achievement of the other millennium objectives. |
| To encourage governments and their partners to promote policy and actions and to implement the achievement of the sanitation objective. |
| • To mobilize societies, particularly women’s groups, to change the customs and traditions in hygiene and sanitation through health education campaigns. |
Contactpersoon: Annemie Peters-Otten
+31 (0)24 3284 935
a.peters@royalhaskoning.com
