Dear Prime Minister Rutte and Minister for Foreign Trade, Development Cooperation Sigrid Kaag, and members of the High-level Panel on Water, As a citizen of the Netherlands as well as a global citizen, I would like to thank you for our government’s strong leadership in global access to water, sanitation and hygiene, as well as development assistance in support of the achievement of all 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Currently, more than 1 in 2 people worldwide lacks access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene, and 2 billion people live in water-scarce areas. By 2025, half of the world’s population will be living in water-stressed regions. Additionally, over 892 million people practice open defecation and 1 in 3 people do not use basic sanitation. A lack of clean water, sanitation and hygiene impacts global health, education, gender equality, environmental sustainability, climate resilience, economic growth, and therefore also affects global peace and security. In particular, access to clean water and sanitation are critical to ending poverty, as well as supporting national and global security because it is crucial to: ● Gender equality: Menstrual hygiene is critical to ensuring girls can access the education they need to thrive. Girls and women around the world face deep shame, health implications, and even forced isolation while menstruating, causing them to miss or drop out of school completely. Currently, 1 in 4 girls in India drops out of school when they begin menstruating, and 36% of girls’ absenteeism from school in Rwanda is due to poor menstrual hygiene management. Through information and behavior change programing about menstruation, as well as menstrual hygiene products, sanitation facilities such as safe and private toilets for girls at school, hand washing and waste management, girls and women worldwide can access an education. Educated girls are often healthier and able to seek economic independence, therefore supporting economic growth and global security. ● Global Health: Water and sanitation is important to preventing the spread to fatal diseases like diarrhea, which is the second leading cause of death for children under five. Healthy adults are also equipped to ensure their families remain healthy; therefore by investing in health now, we will be supporting generations of healthy communities around the world. Health is also key to strong workforces and economies. For example, Ghana’s economy loses US$79 million per year due to health and lost productivity costs. ● The Environment: Over the next 10 years, 175 million children are expected to be impacted by climate change and water disasters. By 2025, 1.8 billion people will live with complete water scarcity. Meanwhile, with the influx of floods, hurricanes, and water-related crises, it is through water that life-threatening illnesses, such as cholera, and pollution are spread. Water and sanitation is also critical to supporting healthy environments by ensuring land and water resources remain uncontaminated by human waste (including disposed of products such as sanitary napkins), diseases, and toxins. ● Sustainable Cities: Urban populations around the world are lacking access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene. In particular, 2.8 billion people, many of whom live in cities and slums, use onsite sanitation. To ensure all cities and communities around the world can access clean drinking water, we must ensure they are able to access sanitation and waste management infrastructure, including for those using onsite or decentralized sanitation systems.

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Migration and refugees: Given the influx of water related crisis and mass migration, access to water and sanitation for refugees, asylum seekers, immigrants and everyone is crucial to their health, dignity and opportunities to thrive. Additionally, ensuring refugees have access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene, we can prevent exposure to life-threatening diseases and infections such as intestinal parasites, such as , which can be easily spread through further migration and contact with communities. International Development: As described above, access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene is both a human right, and necessity if we are to achieve all 17 Sustainable Development Goals and end extreme poverty. If we invest in adequate sanitation facilities, clean water and we break the stigmas around handwashing, open defecation and menstruation, there are massive benefits for global education, health, equality, peace, and prosperity.

Former President of South African Nelson Mandela once said, “Overcoming poverty is not a task of charity, it is an act of justice. Like Slavery and Apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings. Sometimes it falls on a generation to be great. YOU can be that great generation.” With your leadership, we can be the generation to create of a safer, more equitable, sustainable, peaceful, and stronger global community.

Sincerely, Global Citizens from Utrecht University of Applied Sciences