Land & Water

World Toilet Day 2023


On 19 November, FAO celebrates World Toilet Day 2023 under the theme “Accelerating change” which aligns with World Water Day 2023. This celebration coincides with the World Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Awareness Week, observed from 18 to 24 November under the theme “Preventing antimicrobial resistance together”.

Today, 3.5 billion people live without access to safely managed sanitation and 419 million people still practice “open defecation”. The pollution from unimproved sanitation and open defecation highly impacts water and soil quality. Sustainable agriculture could benefit from both improved water quality and the great potential offered by the reuse of treated wastewater.

To address these pressing issues, FAO and IWMI co-launched “Water Quality in Agriculture: Risks and Risk Mitigation” at the Rome Water Dialogue on October 5, 2023. The publication gives an overview of key recommended water quality guidelines, with special emphasis on wastewater and brackish (salinity) water use, their risk assessment and mitigation options for pathogenic and chemical contaminants, including salinity-related threats.

In parallel, FAO promotes a One Health approach aiming to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals and ecosystems, as part of agrifood system transformation, including work on AMR. A dedicated elearning module is freely available on “Understanding antimicrobial resistance in food and agriculture” for a great overview of AMR threat to human, animal and environmental health.

To learn more about FAO's work on circular economy and wastewater reuse, visit the dedicated webpage >>> 

Read the article on “The DNA of Water” to learn more about the role of water and Whole Genome Sequencing in protecting human, animal and ecosystem health >>> 

Check out the publication “Water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH) and wastewater management to prevent infections and reduce the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR)” available in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Russian

For more information on the World Toilet Day, visit the official website >>>