“In a world reshaped by rising climate pressures, urban growth, and inequality, safe sanitation remains a cornerstone of public health and human dignity,” says United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in a statement on World Toilet Day on November 19. Established by the World Toilet Organisation in 2001, the day was made an official United Nations Observance in 2013. Every year, UN-Water — the UN’s coordination mechanism on water and sanitation — sets the theme for this day. In 2025, the theme is ‘Sanitation in a changing world’, which, according to the UN reminds us “that no matter what the future holds, we’ll always need the toilet”. A toilet stands outside the Llamocca family home at Villa Lourdes in Villa Maria del Triunfo on the outskirts of Lima, Peru, on October 7, 2015. — Reuters “The humble toilet is an icon of progress — preventing disease, protecting the environment, and preserving dignity and opportunity. Without safe sanitation, sustainable development falters. Contaminated water can spr...