The three-day conference, starting on November 4, is organized by the Singapore-based World Toilet Organization, led by Jack Sim, who has led campaigns for improved sanitation facilities.

"The summit will examine challenges faced by different countries, whilst providing opportunities for participants to discuss shared issues and find solutions to common problems," Sim earlier said.

The annual World Toilet Summit and Expo, which first took place in 2001, will gather around 100 participants from 40 countries, including manufacturers, scientists, municipal officials and engineers.

The event will feature innovations such as self-cleaning toilets, solar-powered commodes that run without water, and recycling systems that convert waste into biogas used to provide hot water.

According the World Health Organization, 2.5 billion people have no access to a hygienic toilet, over half of which living in China and India. The United Nations has set a goal to halve this figure by 2015.