Impacts of Sanitation and Clean Water on the Environment and the Society

Impacts of Sanitation and Clean Water on the Environment and the Society

Access to sanitation and clean water is a fundamental human right that has a significant impact on public health and the environment. The provision of adequate sanitation and clean water is essential in reducing the spread of water-borne diseases, protecting the environment, and promoting sustainable development. 

SDGs

One of the SDGs is to ensure sustainable management of sanitation and water for all. Any system through which open space defecation is avoided and the effective use of toilets and proposal disposal of animal and human wastes are promoted is referred to as sanitation. Moreover, the procedure of sanitation includes the disposal of waste effectively so that the public health or the environment is not threatened. Ecological, recycling, landfills, and filtration are four basic kinds of sanitation methods.

Organizations

Some of the organizations that are leading as an example with respect to this SDG are H&M Hennes & Mauritz, Heineken, SABMiller, the Toilet Board Coalition, the Anheuser-Busch InBev, the Coca-Cola Company, Nestle, and Unilever. One of the key positive impacts of this SDG is a positive influence on farmers that are engaged directly, as each farm that participates in this SDG transforms into a learning center for around twenty farmers.

One of the negative impacts of insufficient sanitation on the environment is the direct flow of waste or sewage into the wetlands, lakes, rivers, and streams influencing the marine and coastal ecosystems, exposing millions of children to disease, and fouling the environment. In terms of the societal impacts, serious impacts can be left over on social and health development due to the absence of insufficient sanitation, particularly for children. It leads to some of the major diseases like trachoma, schistosomiasis, cholera, and even diarrhea, which in developing countries is one of the biggest killers of infants.