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Since the inaugural event in Singapore in 2001, the World Toilet
Summit series has been held in different countries across the globe annually - from cities in Europe, China and India, to the most recent event held in Macau last year.
The ninth World Toilet Summit & Expo (WTSE) returns to Singapore, and will be held from 2 to 4 December at Suntec Singapore. The event has received strong local support from Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), Restroom Association (Singapore) and Singapore Exhibition and Convention Bureau.
The World Toilet Organization, a global non-profit organisation committed to improving toilet and sanitation conditions worldwide, is a significant contributor to the community of International Organisations (IOs) using Singapore as a regional base. The IO Programme Office is glad to support its World Toilet Summit & Expo series.
Strategic partner, Asian Development Bank, and other supporting organisations like the International Code Council, Sustainable Sanitation Alliance, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, and Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council have also pledged their continued support for the event.
The Driving Theme for 2009
Continuing discussions from the 2008 event, WTSE 2009 will focus on ‘Creating the Blueprint for a Sustainable Sanitation Marketplace’. The three-day Summit will uncover urban and rural perspectives on:
- Creating demand at the bottom-of-the-pyramid (BOP) market
- Designing, engineering and manufacturing of sanitation solutions
- Training and capacity development to ensure sustainability
- Scaling up of sustainable sanitation solutions through social financing mechanisms
With at least 500 million new household sanitation systems, as well as sanitation facilities in schools, religious buildings, marketplaces, transport centres and places of recreation are needed. Considering multiplier effects for promotion, design, manufacture, distribution and transport, and the economic return on investment in sanitation, the global sanitation market is estimated to be worth more than USD 1 trillion.
Founder of WTO, Jack Sim, is excited about the upcoming event. He enthused, “The Summit took off in Singapore eight years ago as a small gathering. I’m very glad that the Summit has grown into an international, action-oriented platform that has garnered global and regional support.”
“For this year’s event, our discussions will be focused on turning the business opportunities which 2.5 billion toilet-less people represent to commercial and non-commercial organisations into a reality by creating a viable blueprint on sustainable sanitation,” Mr Sim explained.
More information on this year’s event is available at www.worldtoiletevents.com. |
