Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) focuses on providing clean water and proper sanitation for everyone. It is one of 17 goals created by the United Nations General Assembly to replace the previous Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The United Nations states that the main goal is to "Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all." This goal includes eight targets to be met by 2030, covering areas like water supply, sanitation, and managing water resources. Progress will be measured using eleven indicators.

The six key targets to be achieved by 2030 include:

The two main ways to reach these goals are to increase international help and support for developing countries and to involve local communities in managing water and sanitation.

Even though official development assistance (ODA) for water projects reached $9 billion in 2018, a 2017 report by the Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) of WHO and UNICEF showed that 4.5 billion people still lacked safe sanitation. In 2017, only 71 percent of the global population had access to safe drinking water, and 2.2 billion people still did not. Other water-related problems, like flooding and drought, also pose serious risks to human health and well-being.

Like other goals, SDG 6 is connected to other Sustainable Development Goals. For example, access to clean water improves health, supporting SDG 3, and better health leads to more school attendance, helping achieve SDG 4, which focuses on quality education. Reaching SDG 6 depends on progress toward other goals as well.

Background

The United Nations (UN) has stated that access to clean water and sanitation is a basic human right. However, only a few countries have created laws that make this right enforceable, causing challenges for people who want to use legal methods to improve access. Even in countries like South Africa, where the constitution clearly supports the right to water and sanitation, it has been difficult to get legal help. A 2020 UN review found that increasing support from donors for water projects is important to reach Goal 6. In 2022, the OECD estimated that about $1 trillion each year is needed globally to achieve SDG 6.

Targets, indicators and progress

SDG 6 has eight targets, two of which are called "implementing targets." Six targets are to be achieved by 2030, one by 2020, and one has no specific year. Each target has one or two indicators to measure progress. In total, there are 11 indicators to track progress for SDG 6. The main data for these targets and indicators come from the Integrated Monitoring Initiative for SDG 6, managed by UN-Water.

The six "outcome-oriented targets" include: providing safe and affordable drinking water; ending open defecation and ensuring access to sanitation and hygiene; improving water quality and treating wastewater safely; increasing water-use efficiency and ensuring fresh water supplies; implementing integrated water resource management; and protecting and restoring water-related ecosystems. The two "means of achieving" targets are: supporting water and sanitation efforts in developing countries and encouraging local involvement in water and sanitation management.

The first three targets focus on drinking water supply, sanitation services, and wastewater treatment and reuse.

A 2018 report found that less than 50% of countries had comparable baseline data for most SDG 6 indicators.

Target 6.1 is titled: "By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all." This target uses one indicator: "Proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services." Safely managed drinking water is defined as water from an improved source that is located on premises, available when needed, and free from fecal and chemical contamination.

Target 6.2 is titled: "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." This target includes one indicator: "Proportion of population using (a) safely managed sanitation services and (b) a hand-washing facility with soap and water." Safely managed sanitation means using improved facilities that are not shared with other households and where waste is safely disposed of or treated.

Ending open defecation will require providing toilets for 2.6 billion people and changing behaviors. To meet SDG 6.2 goals by 2030, about a third of countries, including Brazil, China, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Pakistan, must speed up progress. This will require collaboration between governments, civil society, and the private sector.

Targets 6.1 and 6.2 are often reported together because they are part of the WASH sector (water, sanitation, and hygiene) and share the same custodian agency, the Joint Monitoring Program for Water Supply and Sanitation (JMP).

In June 2019, the JMP released a 138-page report titled "Progress on household drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene 2000-2017: special focus on inequalities." The report stated that in 2017, 5.3 billion people (71% of the global population) used safely managed drinking water. By 2017, 6.8 billion people (90% of the population) used at least a basic service, which includes access to improved water sources within a 30-minute round trip. However, 785 million people still lacked even basic drinking water access, including 144 million who relied on surface water.

The report noted that 2 billion people used drinking water contaminated with feces, which spreads diseases like diarrhea, cholera, dysentery, typhoid, and polio, causing about 485,000 diarrheal deaths annually. It warned that by 2025, 50% of the global population may live in water-stressed areas.

By 2017, 80 countries provided clean water to over 99% of their population. From 2000 to 2017, the global population without clean water access dropped from nearly 20% to about 10%.

In 2017, 22% of healthcare facilities in the least developed countries had no water service, with similar numbers lacking sanitation and waste management.

The 2017 JMP baseline estimate showed that 4.5 billion people lacked safely managed sanitation. Globally, the proportion of the population using safely managed sanitation services increased from 28% in 2000 to 45% in 2017. Latin America and the Caribbean, sub-Saharan Africa, and East and Southeast Asia saw the largest improvements. In 2017, 701 million people practiced open defecation, a number that dropped to 673 million by 2020.

Target 6.3 is titled: "By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping, and minimizing the release of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater, and substantially increasing recycling and safe reuse globally." This target includes two indicators: "Proportion of domestic and industrial wastewater flows safely treated" and "Proportion of bodies of water with good ambient water quality."

Preliminary data from 79 countries in 2019 showed that in about one-quarter of these countries, less than half of household wastewater was treated safely.

Preserving natural water sources is essential to achieving universal access to safe and affordable drinking water.

Target 6.4 is titled: "By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of fresh water to address water scarcity and reduce the number of people suffering from water scarcity." This target includes two indicators: "Change in water-use efficiency over time" and "Level of water stress: fresh water withdrawal as a proportion of available fresh water resources."

Water stress is calculated as:
TFWW = Total fresh water withdrawn (for a specific year)
TRWR = Total renewable fresh water resources
EFR = Environmental flows requirements

In 2017, Central and Southern Asia and Northern Africa had very high water stress, with fresh water withdrawal exceeding 70% of available resources. Western Asia and Eastern Asia had high water stress at 54% and 46%, respectively.

Target 6.5 is titled: "By 2030, implement integrated water resources management at all levels, including through transboundary cooperation as appropriate." This target includes two indicators: "Degree of integrated water resources management" and "Proportion of transboundary basin area."

Custodian agencies

Custodian agencies are responsible for reporting on the following indicators:

• Indicator 6.1.1 and 6.2.1: Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation (JMP). The JMP is a program run by UNICEF and WHO to collect data and track progress for Target 6.1 and Target 6.2.
• Indicator 6.3.1: UN-Habitat and WHO
• Indicator 6.3.2: Global Environment Monitoring System for Freshwater (GEMS/Water), International Centre for Water Resources and Global Change (UNESCO-IHP), Federal Institute of Hydrology, Germany, and University College Cork, Ireland
• Indicators 6.4.1 and 6.4.2: FAOSTAT – AQUASTAT
• Indicator 6.5.1: United Nations Environment Programme – DHI Centre
• Indicator 6.5.2: UNECE and UNESCO-IHP
• Indicator 6.6.1: United Nations Environment Programme, World Conservation Monitoring Centre, and International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
• Indicators 6.a.1 and 6.b.1: UN-Water Global Analysis and Assessment of Sanitation and Drinking-Water (GLAAS)

Challenges

Climate change makes it more difficult to reach SDG 6 Target 1, which aims to provide everyone with safe drinking water. This happens because climate change can cause extreme weather events, such as droughts, heavy rain, and very hot or cold temperatures. These events can harm water systems and lead to less water being available.

The COVID-19 pandemic greatly affected water utilities' ability to meet SDG 6 by causing a loss of income that would have been used for investments.

The pandemic also had a major impact on people living in poor urban areas, many of whom lack access to clean water. The pandemic highlighted the importance of good sanitation, proper hygiene, and having enough clean water to prevent illness. According to the World Health Organization, washing hands is one of the most effective ways to reduce the spread of germs and stop infections, including the virus that causes COVID-19.

Monitoring progress

Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) requires regular monitoring and checks to ensure progress is moving in the correct direction and at the right speed. The United Nations Secretary General releases detailed progress reports on all SDGs. Updates and progress can also be found on the SDG website, which is managed by the United Nations.

In April 2020, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres stated: "Today, Sustainable Development Goal 6 is not on track" and it "is slowing down progress on the 2030 Agenda, the realization of human rights, and the achievement of peace and security around the world."

Experts and professionals are still discussing the best ways to measure progress toward SDG6. Some support methods based on resources, while others focus on experience-based measurements. Experience-based metrics, such as the "Household Water Insecurity Experiences" (HWISE) scale, have been helpful in adding value to resource-based methods. These metrics are used to study water insecurity, assess SDG progress, and monitor development programs.

Links with other SDGs

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are connected to each other. Providing clean water and sanitation for everyone is an important step toward achieving many other SDGs. Experts in water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) say that progress on Goal 6 (clean water and sanitation) is necessary to reach other goals and targets.

For example, better sanitation can create more job opportunities (SDG 8), which helps the economy grow. Progress on Goal 6 improves health (SDG 3) and fairness in society (SDG 16). Recovering resources like nutrients, water, and energy from waste and wastewater helps achieve Goal 12 (sustainable use of resources) and Goal 2 (ending hunger). Managing sanitation and wastewater properly in cities supports Goal 11 (sustainable cities) and Goal 1 (ending poverty).

Sanitation systems that focus on recovering and reusing resources are gaining more attention. These systems can help achieve at least 14 of the SDGs, especially in urban areas.

Organizations

The Sustainable Sanitation Alliance (SuSanA) works to help reach Targets 6.2 and 6.3. Many groups, including Oxfam, UNICEF, WaterAid, small NGOs, universities, research centers, private companies, and government organizations, are part of SuSanA and are dedicated to achieving SDG 6.