World Water Day 2014
Activities from the members of the German WASH Network
WASH-Conference
„Clean Water – zero calories and still a contribution for food security“
Under this slogan, the German WASH Network celebrated the World Water Day 2014. Due to inadequate access to water (786. million people), sanitation (2.5 billion people) and inadequate hygiene practices, each year 4 billion people suffer from diarrheal diseases and an additional 1.5 billion of worm infections. Infected people – often living in poverty – can not properly use the food that is available. In this way, valuable calories end up literally “in the toilet”.
At the beginning of the nationwide day of action, the German WASH Network met with the Parliamentary State Secretary Thomas Silberhorn, for a discussion about the future of the WASH sector. The WASH sector is currently facing important policy decisions: The redesign of the post-2015 development agenda goes into the final phase. Now it is time to develop a coherent contribution to shape this agenda. Furthermore, Germany has made an extra ordinary contribution in the process of creating the human right to water and sanitation. Now it is time to ensure that Germany also in the global implementation of this human right has a leading role.
Together with Thomas Silberhorn we talked about current political processes and discussed the future cooperation. Further speakers during the day were:
Bärbel Dieckmann // President of the German NGO Welthungerhilfe, member of the WASH Network
Virginia Roaf // Advsior of the UN Special Rapporteur for the Human Right on Water and Sanitation
Dr. Ursula Eid // Vice-Chairperson, Policy Advisor of the UN Secutary-General for Water and Sanitation / former Parliamentary Secretary of the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development
press release available only in German language
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