25 Nov 2025

The Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) has issued an urgent call for accelerated efforts to ensure universal access to safe, reliable sanitation as climate change and aging infrastructure intensify pressure on existing systems.

Speaking during the World Toilet Day commemoration on Wednesday under the theme: Sanitation in a Changing World, WUC Director of Waste Water, Mr Innocent Leonard, emphasised that sanitation was fundamental to health, dignity, and environmental protection.

Mr Leonard noted that despite progress over the past decade where 1.2 billion people gained access to safer sanitation 3.4 billion people worldwide still lacked basic facilities, leaving many vulnerable due to geography, income, or disability.

He warned that the consequences of inaction were severe, adding that contaminated water was a driver of deadly diarrhoeal diseases that kill more than 1 000 children daily, while untreated waste continued to damage ecosystems and fuel climate change.

Mr Leornard said untreated human waste polluted ecosystems and contributed to greenhouse gas emissions, further exacerbating the climate crisis.

Women and girls, he added, faced disproportionate impacts such as missed school or work due to the lack of safe and private sanitation facilities. Ensuring access, he stressed, was both a human right and a matter of survival.

Furthermore, Mr Leonard pointed out the increasing strain on existing waste management systems, intensified by climate change and infrastructure ageing.

He called for increased investment in climate-resilient, low-emission, accessible, and well-funded sanitation systems, urging innovation to match growing demand.

Deputy Director of the Department of Water and Sanitation, Mr Stanley Semetsa, reiterated Botswana’s commitment to sustainable and inclusive development with equitable access to water and sanitation services. He highlighted persistent gaps between urban and rural areas and underscored the need for swift action.

“The Ministry’s unwavering’s strategy includes expanding safe sanitation coverage, improving household access, recovering resources from waste, and ensuring environmentally compliant wastewater management.”

Mr Semetsa affirmed that the investments were being directed toward resilient infrastructure, digital solutions, hygiene education, and support for marginalised communities efforts aligned with achieving SDG 6: universal access to clean water and sanitation. ENDS