World Toilet Summit and Expo 2009
November 13, 2009 by Eugene
Filed under Design and Buildings, People and Lifestyle, Singapore, Waste and Materials
World experts to deliberate on issues of sanitation and toilets
World Toilet Summit returns to Singapore since inauguration in 2001
World experts on sanitation and toilets will converge in Singapore in December to deliberate on almost every aspect of this once-taboo subject.
High on their agenda will be the urgent issue of bringing sanitation to 2.5 billion people who live without having toilets, a market worth an estimated US$1 trillion.
The occasion will be the three-day World Toilet Summit and Expo 2009 (WTSE 2009) to be held from December 2-4 at Suntec Singapore. It will be opened by Mr Lim Swee Say, Minister (Prime Minister’s Office).
The ninth in the series, the event is organised by the locally-based World Toilet Organization (WTO) founded by Singaporean Jack Sim in 2001, and MP Asia, in partnership with Asian Development Bank (ADB). It has the strong local support of the Economic Development Board (EDB), PUB – The National Water Agency, the Restroom Association (Singapore), Singapore Institute of Architects, Singapore Institute of Planners and Singapore Exhibition and Convention Bureau.
This is the first time that WTSE is coming back to Singapore after its inaugural event held here in 2001. Since then, 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.
SM Goh Chok Tong: WTSE participants can draw on Singapore’s progress
In a congratulatory message for WTSE 2009, Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong said that participants of the event can draw useful lessons from Singapore’s tremendous progress in its waste management infrastructure evolving from the bucket system 40 years ago, to the state-of-the-art Deep Tunnel Sewerage System today.
“In fact, we have gone beyond the provision of basic sanitation to the business of recycling used water, which is a solution that may appeal to cities with severe water shortage,” he said.
Mr Goh further points out in this message that more work needs to be done to raise standards of sanitation.
“Beyond the provision of infrastructure and public health facilities, there are areas where work needs to be done, such as changing people’s mindsets concerning design, maintenance and proper usage of toilets. In this regard, NGOs, such as the WTO, together with government, private sector and community stakeholders, can play an active role to help develop, educate and propagate sustainable sanitation solutions and standards.”
Observing that 2.5 billion people around the world still do not have access to proper sanitation today, he adds: “I am glad that the WTO, a non-government organisation that started in and continues to operate from Singapore, has taken up the challenge to garner support and action for this critical but unglamorous area of life.”
Said Mr Jack Sim, the founder of the World Toilet Organization: “There are 2.5 billion people in this world, without proper sanitation facilities. We should work towards making such a basic need addressed. There are opportunities for all to benefit, and the long term advantages will be apparent in the future.”
Wide range of topics to be discussed
The theme for WTSE 2009 will be “Creating the Blueprint for a Sustainable Sanitation Marketplace”.
Two keynote addresses will be delivered during the opening ceremony, one by Professor Tommy Koh, Chairman, Asia-Pacific Water Forum, and Mr Arjun Thapan, Director General of Asian Development Bank, Philippines.
One of the prominent speakers will be Dr Bindeshwar Pathak, founder of the Sulabh International Social Service Organisation, India. The organisation, which has 50,000 volunteers, promotes human rights, environmental sanitation, non-conventional sources of energy, waste management and social reforms through education. Sulabh has also established a Museum of Toilets in New Delhi, featuring a rare collection of artefacts, pictures and objects detailing the historic evolution of toilets since 2,500 BC. Moreover, the Museum wing under Dr. Pathak’s guidance has undertaken the task of publishing an Encyclopaedia of Sanitation, which perhaps will be the first of its kind in the world.
Topics to be discussed during the Summit include:
- Communication for sanitation development
- Sanitation marketing
- Toilet design and technology for various environments
- School sanitation
- Financing sanitation
Additionally, the Summit is now a CPD-accredited event. Architects will receive 4 CPD points for their participation at the Summit. As part of the design and technology sessions on 3 December, the spotlight will be thrown on various toilet designs in both urban and rural settings.
The topics up for discussion include:
- Green Toilet Designs
- Future High Efficiency Toilets and Drainage Systems
- Innovations in Sustainable Design: Case Studies from Portland, Oregon
- Planning Tools for the Diverse City – The Compendium of Sanitation Systems and Technologies
- Islamic Toilet Designs
- Public Restroom Design for 21st Century US Cities
- Application of Universal Design Concept for Urban Environment and Disabled Toilets
The Summit will be accompanied by an Expo which will showcase sustainable sanitation solutions and urban toilet designs and technology.
Exhibitors include Rigel Technology (S) Pte Ltd, the green restroom specialist for water-saving and energy-efficient products; Besco Building Supplies (SEA), a selection of innovative restroom space management materials; Essential Wellness Pte Ltd, a supplier of hygiene and disinfection technology; The Brown Corporation, compact and ideal solutions for toilet use outdoors; Megatech Solutions, which provides bacteria and odour control solutions; PFE Technologies Pte Ltd, a quality construction materials and portable toilets provider; PolyPortables Inc., who supplied some 320 portable toilet units for the Singtel F1 Singapore Grand Prix 2009; and more. The Expo is co-locating with PULIRE ASIA Cleaning Solutions Expo, and will give visitors a more comprehensive platform towards sanitation and cleaning solutions.
More information on this year’s event is available at www.worldtoiletevents.com.
This is a press release from Buzz Communications.
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