By: Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News|
With 3.5 billion people worldwide still lacking access to safe sanitation, India is preparing to host the World Toilet Summit (WTS) 2025—a major global gathering aimed at accelerating progress toward universal sanitation access amid mounting climate pressures.
The Summit, jointly organized by Sulabh International and the World Toilet Organization, will be held from November 19–21, 2025, in New Delhi under the theme:
“Sanitation: A Collective Responsibility for Dignity and the Planet.”
Global Sanitation Crisis Intensifies
As the world races toward the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal 6 deadline, progress remains far behind target.
- Over 3.5 billion people lack safe sanitation.
- Nearly 2 billion people still rely on contaminated water sources.
- Climate impacts—flooding, drought, and rising temperatures—continue to damage fragile WASH systems, fueling the spread of waterborne diseases.
Experts say sanitation must now be treated as a climate-resilient development priority, especially as nations prepare for COP30.
India’s WASH Transformation: A Global Model
India’s decade-long Swachh Bharat Mission (Clean India Programme)—one of the world’s largest sanitation drives—has transformed the country’s hygiene landscape. The mission:
- Built 110 million toilets in five years.
- Eliminated open defecation at the national level.
- Expanded toilet access in both rural and urban communities.
For over 50 years, Sulabh International has driven the development of cost-effective sanitation technology, gender-inclusive toilet systems, and behaviour-change programs now replicated globally.
The World Toilet Organization, marking 25 years of World Toilet Day, has repeatedly recognized India as a global sanitation leader, positioning the country as a hub for scalable, people-centred WASH solutions.
What to Expect at WTS 2025
The Summit will:
- Showcase India’s 10-year achievements under the Swachh Bharat Mission.
- Present India’s model as a replicable blueprint for the Global South.
- Feature the adoption of the Delhi Declaration, focused on equity and climate-resilient sanitation.
- Launch Clean India Mission – Phase 3, which will strengthen wastewater and faecal sludge management and expand access to clean water.
More than 1,000 delegates from over 40 countries are expected to attend, including ministers, UN officials, development partners, private-sector leaders, and global WASH experts.
Notable attendees include:
- Rekha Gupta, Chief Minister of Delhi
- Shri Raja Iqbal Singh, Mayor of Delhi
- Senior Union Ministers of the Government of India
- Mr. Mbangiseni David Mahlobo, Deputy Minister of Water & Sanitation, South Africa
- Dr. Herbert Nabaasa, Ministry of Health, Uganda
- Representatives of the World Bank and the Gates Foundation
The event will be guided by sector pioneers Mr. Jack Sim, Founder of the World Toilet Organization, and Mr. Kumar Dilip, President of Sulabh International.
