Toilets Salvage the Nation’s Life

KOMPAS/RIZA FATHONI

Garbage dump and public bathroom on the side of Blencong River in Tarumajaya area, Bekasi, West Java, Wednesday (21/11/2018). Domestic waste and feces, which are thrown into the river, puts residents at risk of disease. Open defecation is a common issue in various areas of Greater Jakarta.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS -- Toilets are believed to be salvaging the nation as they prevent human waste from spreading deadly diseases. World Toilet Day on Nov. 19 is an inspiration in the face of the global sanitation crisis, writes the United Nations on its official website un.org/en/events/toiletday/.

However, providing proper sanitation all over the world has not be an easy feat. Even today, according to data from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) taken from the UN’s website, 4.5 billion people live without proper toilets and 892 million still defecate openly. Globally, 80 percent of human waste water is returned to natural ecosystems without any management or recycling.