#SDG6 CLEAN WATER AND SANITATION

Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all

One in three people live without sanitation. This is causing unnecessary disease and death. Although huge strides have been made with access to clean drinking water, lack of sanitation is undermining these advances. If we provide affordable equipment and education in hygiene practices, we can stop this senseless suffering and loss of life.

Targets

Everyone can help to make sure that we meet the Global Goals. Use these targets to ensure clean water and sanitation for all.

6.1 SAFE AND AFFORDABLE DRINKING WATER

By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all.

6.2 END OPEN DEFECATION AND PROVIDE ACCESS TO SANITATION AND HYGIENE

By 2030, achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and end open defecation, paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations.

6.3 IMPROVE WATER QUALITY, WASTEWATER TREATMENT AND SAFE REUSE

By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater and substantially increasing recycling and safe reuse globally.

6.4 INCREASE WATER-USE EFFICIENCY AND ENSURE FRESHWATER SUPPLIES

By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity and substantially reduce the number of people suffering from water scarcity.

6.5 IMPLEMENT INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

By 2030, implement integrated water resources management at all levels, including through transboundary cooperation as appropriate.

6.6 PROTECT AND RESTORE WATER-RELATED ECOSYSTEMS

By 2020, protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes.

6.7 EXPAND WATER AND SANITATION SUPPORT TO DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

By 2030, expand international cooperation and capacity-building support to developing countries in water- and sanitation-related activities and programs, including water harvesting, desalination, water efficiency, wastewater treatment, recycling and reuse technologies.

6.8 SUPPORT LOCAL ENGAGEMENT IN WATER AND SANITATION MANAGEMENT

Support and strengthen the participation of local communities in improving water and sanitation management.

Thoughts

Water scarcity affects more than 40 percent of people, an alarming figure that is projected to rise as temperatures do. Although 2.1 billion people have improved water sanitation since 1990, dwindling drinking water supplies are affecting every continent. More and more countries are experiencing water stress, and increasing drought and desertification is already worsening these trends. By 2050, it is projected that at least one in four people will suffer recurring water shortages. Safe and affordable drinking water for all by 2030 requires we invest in adequate infrastructure, provide sanitation facilities, and encourage hygiene. Protecting and restoring water-related ecosystems is essential. Ensuring universal safe and affordable drinking water involves reaching over 800 million people who lack basic services and improving accessibility and safety of services for over two billion. In 2015, 4.5 billion people lacked safely managed sanitation services (with adequately disposed or treated excreta) and 2.3 billion lacked even basic sanitation. Nearly one billion people lack access to safe drinking water and two billion has inadequate access to sanitation facilities. Sensors can monitor potable water quality to test for chemicals and the presence of microorganisms from sewage, runoff or discharge from factories and take appropriate action. Precision water supplies can be determined with sensors that monitor both usage and flow rates. The current state of wells can be monitored to determine if they’re in need of repair while accelerometers in the levers of hand pumps can measure their utilization. The approximately six billion gallons of clean water that are lost every day in the US can be mitigated with leak detection sensors and upgraded infrastructure.