Sustainable Development Goal 6
CLEAN WATER & SANITATION
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About Clean Water and Sanitation
The Global Context
What’s happening in Australia?
What’s happening in Australian Schools?
What you can do about it
About Clean Water and Sanitation
The world’s most expensive commodities—gold, precious gems, and oil, etc.,—are highly treasured by many and have even incited violence and division among some. And yet, arguably, one of our most valuable resources across the globe is the one we do so little to protect.
Clean and safe water is a luxury many of us sometimes take for granted, and many can only dream of. With the impact of climate change increasing, our limited freshwater resources are disappearing and becoming more important than ever before. The world has already lost 70% of its natural wetlands over the last century—a shortsighted and possibly irrecoverable move on our part. Protecting water-related ecosystems for ourselves and future generations is now essential. (The International Union for Conservation of Nature, 2019)
Water scarcity affects more than 40% of the global population. Not only that but this number is expected to increase as climate change causes temperatures to heat up. Dwindling water supplies are now affecting every continent—not just the arid regions so often displayed on the media.
On top of our resources drying up, as a global collective we are also actively polluting the supplies left available to us. 80% of wastewater (from industrial, agricultural and consumer sources) is untreated when discharged back into waterways. (The United Nations world water development report 2017, 2020)
Beyond water scarcity and stress, a lack of basic sanitation affects about 1 in 3 people globally. Figures from 2015 highlighted that 39% of the global population, 2.9 billion people, had access to safe sanitation. Furthermore, over 4.5 billion people lacked safely managed sanitation facilities (services that adequately disposed or treated excreta), and another 2.3 billion people lacked even basic sanitation. The same study revealed that 892 million people globally still practiced open defecation. (United Nations Development Programme, n.d.b.)
Further figures from the 2015 research indicated that only 71% of the global population, or about 5.2 billion people, had access to safely-managed drinking water. Plus, although 2.1 billion people have seen improved water sanitation since 1990, 844 million still lacked even basic drinking water. (United Nations Development Programme, n.d.b.)
("Providing clean water", n.d.)
These numbers only continue to rise to this day as we are seeing an increase in drought and desertification due to climate change. Research projects that by 2050, at least one in four people globally will experience water shortages as part of daily life. (United Nations Development Programme, n.d.b.)
A lack of clean drinking water and sanitation is detrimental to more than just our thirst though. There are major health ramifications that come with consuming unsafe water. Diarrhea from drinking contaminated water is the leading cause of illness and death globally, with 90% of deaths being children under five years of age. (World Health Organization, n.d.)THE GOAL TO PROVIDE CLEAN WATER BY 2030
Realising the Global Goal 6 of universal safe and affordable drinking water is no small challenge to overcome. A project of this scope involves providing basic services and water accessibility to over 800 million people. In addition, regions which experience particular water stress—namely North Africa, and West, Central and South Asia—require improved accessibility and safety for another two billion people. (United Nations Development Programme, n.d.b.)
The Sustainable Development Goals Explained: Clean Water and Sanitation
Author: United Nations | (United Nations, 2015)
The Global Goal 6 (part of the Global Goals collective for 2030) strives to ensure the availability and sustainable management of safe water and sanitation for all. Meeting this goal will require a global, multi-pronged approach on an international and local scale that involves investing in adequate infrastructure, providing sanitation facilities, and encouraging hygiene.
(World's Largest Lesson, n.d.a.)
There are several specific aims within Global Goal 6 to help achieve the overarching mission by 2030. These include:
- Achieving universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water
- Providing access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and finally put an end to open defecation
- Paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations
- Improving water quality and wastewater treatment
- Increasing water-use efficiency and ensuring freshwater supplies
- Protecting and restoring water-related ecosystems
- Expanding water and sanitation to support developing countries
- Supporting local engagement in water and sanitation management for all
HOW DOES CLEAN WATER HELP OUR WORLD?
Clean water is not just important to provide people with a safe drink. It affects many aspects of people’s lives, their opportunities, and the overall health of our world. Adequate water resources could even help to reduce conflict between warring countries. (Fröhlich, 2012)
SDG 6: CLEAR WATER AND SANITATION
Author: MAPFRE | (MAPFRE, 2019)
Clean water and hygienic living conditions have a significant impact on mortality rates and the spread of disease. The Covid-19 pandemic has shown us on a global scale that improved sanitation and ablutions can prevent contagion from escalating.
Water sufficiency can even improve greater gender equality, since women are more likely to be responsible for fetching water in water-scarce regions rather than taking other employment avenues. This in turn also allows more children, particularly girls, to attend school and improve impoverished communities by devoting time to other kinds of work.
Clean water initiatives can also have a positive impact on our world’s biodiversity and pollution. These initiatives help reduce the impacts of climate change and drought, while still increasing the production of healthy food for an ever-increasing global population.
It’s critical that we improve our protection and access to water supplies and begin to value water for the precious resource it is—given how necessary water is for the health and well-being of our people and planet.
10 Ways Clean Water Can Change the World
Author: The Water Project | (The Water Project, n.d.)
GLOBAL EFFORTS TO PROVIDE CLEAN WATER
Where there is water, there is life! There are many different ways we can contribute to supporting clean water. Here are a few actions you can do in your own home.
- Consider these actions:
- Never throw away oil in the sewer. Take it to be recycled.
- Conserve water at home by turning off the tap and shower when you’re brushing your teeth or using soap. Only run the dishwasher when it’s full and the washing machine when there is a proper load of clothes.
- Install flow reductions and double flow tanks in your toilets and low-flow shower heads.
- Find ways to volunteer in your local community or rural areas to help purify water!
Check out this clean water and sanitation challenge infographic to discover how collectively we can all work together to take action on a global scale and reach the Sustainable Development Goal 6.
What other ways can you think of to create awareness or change habits around water use and consumption?
Now, more than ever, the world needs to implement solutions for the more efficient use and management of water to address this ever-growing demand. We need to continue to address the threats to water security and instigate processes that will decrease the frequency and severity of droughts and floods resulting from climate change.
Goal 6: Safe water - it's not rocket science
Global Goals for Sustainable Development | (Global Goals for Sustainable Development, 2018)
At the moment, it is unlikely that most countries will reach full implementation of these integrated water resources management by 2030. Collectively though, the Goal could be achieved if we all doubled the current annual rate of progress.
Visit the Global Goals for Sustainable Development homepage for Goal 6 to get involved and take action to make a difference.
Clean Water & Sanitation
Author: The Global Goals | (The Global Goals, n.d.a.)
