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The World Water Forum 6: Time for Solutions

WECF mobilizes for the right to water and contributes in tackling global water challenges at the 6th World Water Forum in Marseille, March 2012.

12.03.2012 | WECF Press Release

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Utrecht, March 12, 2012 – WECF mobilizes for the right to water and, together with France Libertés and Moldovan partner "Ormax", participates in the Forum Alternative World Water (FAME) on 9-17 of March and the 6th World Water Forum Marseille 2012: Regional Process Europe, to be held between 12 and 17 of March in Marseille, France.

Download the flyer on WECF’s activities at the 6th World Water Forum

To help tackle the global water challenges at local, regional and international levels, Women in Europe For a Common Future (WECF) is a part of the working group "Give access to the drinking water and sanitation services for the European underprivileged populations" at the 6th World Water Forum.

At the forum, WECF will share the knowledge and know-how in favour of water by contributing with educational as well as technical solutions on the access to proper sanitary facilities and safe drinking water for everyone. The following three WECF's solutions have been accepted on the Solutions for Water platform:

• "Equitable Access to Sustainable School Sanitation"

• "Equitable access to sanitation for rural population through UDDT"

• "Water Safety Plans involving schools"

Safe Water and Sustainable Sanitation for All
Worldwide, the lack of safe sanitation and drinking water causes around 1.4 million preventable deaths every year, mostly among children under 5. WECF’s programme on water quality monitoring in rural areas of Eastern Europe, Central Caucasus and Asia countries has showed that unsustainable sanitation systems such as pit latrines and perforated septic tanks often pollute drinking water in wells with human faecal bacteria and nitrates and thus threaten health.

WECF and its partners represent civil society in the UNECE Protocol on Water and Health process and advocate for an integrated and sustainable approach to water resource and river basin management. To reach concrete targets, WECF is working together with communities, universities and innovative businesses to demonstrate affordable sustainable water and sanitation solutions, using local knowledge and material.

WECF Sustainable Sanitation Systems
The Urine Diverting Dry Toilets (UDDTs) and the Constructed Wetland or Soil Filters - decentralised, safe and affordable sanitation systems, demonstrated and implemented by WECF. Both of them protect drinking water sources and at the same time allow safe reuse of nutrients, either as effective fertiliser or as biomass. These sustainable sanitation systems are better adapted to impacts of climate change (droughts, floods), use less electricity for operation, and act substitutes as carbon-intensive synthetic fertilizers. Soil filters can absorb CO2 and produce valuable organic materials for insulation and construction. Decentralized sustainable sanitation therefore is well suited for National Mitigation and Adaptation Plans.

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For further information:
The official website of the 6th World Water Forum: www.worldwaterforum6.org.
Alternative World Water Forum: http://www.fame2012.org/en/

Or contact:
Chantal Van den Bossche, WECF press: chantal.vandenbossche@wecf.eu; mob: 0031-6.2812 9992

WECF the Netherlands: +31 (30) 23 10 300
WECF Germany: +49 (89) 23 23 93 80
Website: www.wecf.eu

WECF has NGO consultative status with United Nations

Economic & Social Council (ECOSOC) and is accredited with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

WECF is partner of SuSanA

WECF is member of Coalition Eau

WECF is member of the German WASH network

WECF is organising partner of the Women‘s Major Group to the UN in the preparations for the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, June 2012

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