Toilet conference 2025 ends with promising outcome for global sanitation
The two-day `Toilet Conference 2025', held at the Hotel InterContinental Dhaka, concluded on February 26.
It brought together industry experts, academics, policymakers, development partners, and researchers to address pressing sanitation challenges and explore innovative solutions.
The closing ceremony saw the participation of prominent figures, including Mr Abu Borhan Mohammad Badruzzaman, Vice Chancellor, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology; Mr A H M Kamruzzaman, Additional Secretary, Urban Development Wing, Local Government Division, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, Mr Mohd Monirul Islam, Additional Secretary, Ministry of CHT Affairs, Engr Tusher Mohon Shadhu Khan, Chief Engineer, DPHE, Dr Roshan Raj Shrestha, Deputy Director, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene, Global Growth and Opportunity Division, Ms Antoinette Kome, Head of Global Water Sector, SNV, Prof Juliet Willets, Chair, Programme Committee, Toilet Conference 2025 and Professor, Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney and Dr Khairul Islam, Regional Director, WaterAid. Government officials, delegates, representatives from the development sector, and press and electronic media members also attended.
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The final day featured keynote presentations by Tanvir Ahmed, Professor, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, and Keshav Das, Programme Specialist, UNICEF South Asia Regional Office, focusing on 'Gender equality, disability, and social inclusion and Climate resilient sanitation'. Jack Sim Juek Wah, Founder of World Toilet Organization, and Roshan Raj Shrestha, Deputy Director of the Gates Foundation, addressed 'Private Sector Engagement and Innovative Technology'. Technical sessions on 'Gender equality, disability, and social inclusion and Climate resilient sanitation', moderated by Maya Igarashi-Wood, and 'Private sector engagement and Innovative technology', moderated by Ishrat Shabnam, saw active participation from delegates representing governmental and non-governmental organisations.
The conference provided a vital platform for government representatives from the Global South to share best practices, policy objectives, and development strategies in sanitation with a diverse global audience. It emphasised the importance of integrating sanitation into broader development goals, empowering nations to drive progress in the sector. Organised by ITN-BUET, SNV, UNICEF, and WaterAid, the 'Toilet Conference 2025' received support from key partners, including the Gates Foundation, Kimberly-Clark, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Sweden, and UK International Development. RFL was the platinum partner, and BRAC and Practical Action were the gold partners. The conference aimed to highlight existing sanitation challenges and promote innovative solutions. It showcased local and cross-country innovations in water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), encouraged partnerships, mobilised investments, and explored digital solutions to advance the sanitation agenda in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
