WASH in Schools The Parma Ministerial Declaration for WASH in schools in EECCA region

1. WASH in Schools The Parma Ministerial Declaration for WASH in schools in EECCA region Sascha Gabizon, Executive Director, WECF Margriet Samwel, Coordinator Water Programme, WECF

2. Sanitation in EECCA region Parma Ministerial Declaration Lessons from 10-country School Sanitation program Ideas for implementing Parma declaration Content:

3. School toilets rural areas: Far away, smelly, insects Covered in excreta No hand-washing No privacy, no waste-bins Groundwater pollution est. 30 million people do not have safe sanitation in EU alone, how many in EECCA? Uzbekistan Armenia Ukraine

5. Many schools build without toilets Hardware often unsustainable Software not provided “shit smeared over the walls” “cleaning materials ‘reused’” “girls harassed on way to toilet” “girls ‘keep it up’ all day” “blather/urinary track infections” Current Situation School Sanitation in EECCA region

7. Sanitation in EECCA region Parma Ministerial Declaration Lessons from 10-country School Sanitation program Ideas for implementing Parma declaration

8. Ministerial declaration endorsed by 53 Member States attending the 5th Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health in Parma, Italy on 10-12 March 2010. Consist of: 1) Ministerial Declaration and 2) Commitment to Act http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/78608/E93618.pdf Parma Declaration on Environment and Health

9. Through the declaration the participating governments agreed to implement national programmes to provide equal opportunities to each child by 2020 by ensuring access to safe water and sanitation, opportunities for physical activity and a healthy diet, improved air quality and an environment free of toxic chemicals Parma Declaration on Environment and Health

10. 3.We are committed to act on the key environment and health challenges of our time. These include:(b)the health risks to children and other vulnerable groups posed by poor environmental, working and living conditions (especially the lack of water and sanitation) Parma Ministerial Declaration

11. 4.We will address these challenges by setting up or strengthening existing mechanisms or structures that can ensure effective implementation, promote local actions and ensure active participation Parma Ministerial Declaration

12. 5.We will intensify efforts to develop, improve and implement health and environmental legislation Parma Ministerial Declaration

13. 5.We will intensify efforts to develop, improve and implement health and environmental legislation 6.We will ensure that youth participation is facilitated Parma Ministerial Declaration

14. 8. We encourage international stakeholders, including international financial institutions, and the European Commission to offer further scientific, political, technical and financial assistance Parma Ministerial Declaration

15. 10.We endorse and will implement the „Commitment to act“ and the goals and targets included therein. That document is an integral part of this Declaration. Parma Ministerial Declaration

16. A. Protecting children’s health 1.We reconfirm our commitment to prioritized actions under the regional priority goals (RPGs) in the Children’s Environment and Health Action Plan for Europe (CEHAPE) as indicated below. We will strive to attain the targets in the RPGs as set out below. Regional Priority Goal 1: Ensuring public health by improving access to safe water and sanitation Parma Commitment to Act

17. A. Protecting children’s health 1. ii.We will strive to provide each child with access to safe water and sanitation in homes, child care centres, kindergartens, schools, health care institutions and public recreational water settings by 2020, and to revitalize hygiene practices. Parma Commitment to Act

18. Sanitation in EECCA region Parma Ministerial Declaration Lessons from 10-country School Sanitation program Ideas for implementing Parma declaration

19. “Soviets made pit latrines obligatory in the 1930s - in some cases punished with prison” Lessons Learned from 10-country WECF sanitation program

20. 16.000 pupils and teachers using WECF school-toilets Total direct cost per user: 37 euro (average) 50 sustainable school toilet-buildings in 10 countries since 2003

21. Because in target villages: No central water supply to flush No central sewage system Benefits: More hygienic No smell - can be indoor (climate!) Reuse of nutrients Drinking water source protection All 50 school toilet buildings use Dry Urine Diversion Systems

22. Indoor toilets where-ever possible • Separate rooms for boys and girls Specialteenagegirls facilities (depends on culture) for girls during menstruation period • Privacy: doors can be closed/locked Squatting slaps - not sitting seats (hygiene) • Proper smell prevention • Hand wash basin and simple grey water treatment • High quality material for long term sustainability Big urine tanks for 6 months storage time (hygiene) • Footprint near the squatting slab so children know where to stand. Best Practices Hardware

23. First outdoor UDD school Toilet for 200 pupils in Romania : 8 years in use, total cost € 6000 Trainings Construction Urine storage

24. First indoor school toilet for 350 pupils + teachers in Armenia: €20,000 Waterless urinals at different heights Squatting toilet with urine diversion Urine storage tanks in the basement Built by AWHHW, Quelque Chose architects and TUHH Wash basins and the toilet care-taker

25. More best practices + smell prevention

26. More best practices + re-use

27. Agree in advance on responsibilities and financial contribution of the school Employing a “care-taker” is key Obtain in advance approvals needed (authorities for education, architecture, health, environment, emergency/utilities, fire, electricity) Hygiene education (PHAST*) for pupils, teachers and parents Usage, operation and maintenance of facilities trainings for pupils, teachers and personnel “how to...” educational posters in the toilet Training on the re-use of nutrients (or energy) * Participatory Health And Sanitation Transformation (WHO) Best Practices ‘Software’

28. Who cleans the toilet? Who collects ash/saw dust for the toilet? Who checks the toilet on technical defects? Who is responsible for operation and maintenance? What to do when something is broken? How should the O&M be financed? Who develops an education strategy? How will awareness be created among the school children? How can the school guarantee that the toilet will be properly used? Check-list school MoU

29. First of its kind, gives an indication 3 step methodology: Questionnaire for female and male pupils 31 (29 boys) questions related to Acceptance - Dignity - Gender Health - Absenteeism - Menstruation (girls only) Absenteeism “class book” survey Focus group discussion (only with pupils, no teachers present) Sample 10 schools with UDD toilets: total 361 pupils 8 reference schools with pit latrine: total 245 pupils 5 countries: Moldova, Ukraine, Armenia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan WECF Impact Assessment

30. Absenteeism Survey - maybe an indication

31. On new toilets: All children are very satisfied about new toilets because of greater comfort (clean, warm, no smell, hand-washing facilities, short distance etc.) Especially girls experience benefits because of greater privacy and washing facilities On pit latrines: Especially girls avoid using the pit latrines In Central Asia girls skipped school during their menstruation period because of the bad pit latrine In Central Asia children went to home during classes to go the toilet because of the bad pit latrine In all countries some girls use latrines during classes to have more privacy Pupils Focus Group Discussions some preliminary results

32. School Sanitation: Global Priority Lessons from 10-country program Hardware: best and worst practices Software: best and worst practices Ideas for 5 yr drive

33. School Sanitation - Should be a global Priority School sanitation: • does not count for Millennium Dev Goals • excluded from JMP • is core responsibility of government • is essential for girls school attendance • “discriminating” factor for girls • needs innovative financial mechanisms • can be a win-win deal • should be policy priority

34. Choice of ‘hardware’ does matter Indoor toilets with re-use systems are good solution for non-piped areas Need to be added to national codes (construction, hygiene, agriculture) Not more expensive then VIP pit-latrines Potential income generation from re-use, energy - can cover maintenance costs Potentially saves costs drinking water treatment General reflections on School Sanitation - ‘Hardware’

35. No ‘hardware’ works without ‘software’ Hygiene needs to be taught (also in EU) Cleaning of toilets is not a habit amongst latrine users: needs to be learned Incentives and education for pupils against vandalism Teenage girls need to feel ‘safe’ regarding menstruation - waste baskets, doors that lock, own toilets Inclusive sanitation (e.g. children with disabilities) Pupils should feel ownership, know its their right General Recommendations School Sanitation - ‘Software’

36. Link to implementation of UN GA 2010 resolution “human right to water and sanitation” Call on all countries to set targets for achieving 100% safe school sanitation Define “sustainable” sanitation (5 SuSanA criteria) Establish principle: “no toilet - no school” Post-2015 inclusion of public sanitation in MDGs WASH in Schools: focus of 1 of the 5 years! Link Parma Implementation and 5 yr Sustainable Sanitation Drive

37. Funding priority from public budget “Total sanitation” incentive approach does not work for public buildings Global School Sanitation Fund (e.g. DK, EBRD) Aim: pilots in each country - examples convince All schools in a few countries (Moldova, Lesotho) Incentives for partnerships including civil society Communicate the successes 5 Yr Drive - Financing School Sanitation

38. Guidelines with best practices for school sanitation hardware and software Baseline of current school sanitation (e.g. Moldova) Comparison of different hardware options Capacity building tools for re-use sanitation systems Educational and training tools on hygiene, use, maintenance Possible partners.... Our plans: extend Guidelines Best Practices School Sanitation ?

39. Draw on work done within PWH Capacity building online tool on small scale sanitation (with Germany and Czech republic) Guidelines on public participation in sanitation decision making (with Romania) Guidelines on equitable access (with France) Other areas ?

40. Thank You