19 世界厕所日 World Toilet Day

November the 19th is World Toilet Day (WTD). This day celebrates the importance of something we never really think about too much – the toilet. Imagine life without one. There are many world issues regarding toilets. WTD is a global day of action to raise awareness of the fact that millions of people have no clean toilet. This creates serious health problems in many countries. No toilets or sewage systems means human waste is in the streets. This gets into the water supply and affects crops. WTD is run by the World Toilet Organization. This is a worldwide non-profit group that aims to increase the number of toilets in poor countries. It has a global network of over 200 different organizations in 56 countries.

Toilets have been around for thousands of years. The first known toilets and sewage systems were in the Indus Valley, in India and Pakistan. The modern flush toilet dates back to the sixteenth century. It was designed by an Englishman called John Harrington in 1596. It took another 250 years for his invention to become popular. In the late nineteenth century, rich Londoners installed them in their houses. Toilet design stayed the same for the next three hundred years. Modern technology is now changing the toilet. Japanese makers are making “smart” toilets that can analyze our waste and give us a report on our health. These may help keep all of us healthier in the future by checking our blood pressure and blood sugar levels.

第67届联合国大会2013年7月24日通过决议，将每年的11月19日设立为“世界厕所日”，该节日由世界厕所组织（WTO）于2001年提出，在2013年7月24日确立 。主要是为了凸显穷人面对的环境卫生危机而设立，以推动安全饮用水和基本卫生设施的建设，倡导人人享有清洁、舒适及卫生的环境。希望通过全世界人民的努力，共同改善世界环境卫生问题。