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Sustainable Development Goal 6 - Synthesis Report on Water and Sanitation 2018

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A. Sustainable Development Goal 6

All 193 Member States of the United Nations General Assembly unanimously agreed to Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (the 2030 Agenda) in September 2015. The 2030 Agenda is a plan of action for people, the planet and prosperity. Member States resolved to “end poverty in all its forms”, to take bold and transformative steps to “shift the world on to a sustainable and resilient path” and to ensure that “no one will be left behind”.

The 2030 Agenda established 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 global targets, relating to development outcomes and means of implementation (MoI), for the period 2015–2030. These were designed to be integrated and indivisible and to balance the social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainable development. The 2030 Agenda further seeks to realize the human rights of all, and to achieve gender equality and empowerment of all women and girls. This ambitious universal agenda is intended to be implemented by all countries and all stakeholders, acting in collaborative partnership.

The establishment of SDG 6, Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all, reflects the increased attention on water and sanitation issues in the global political agenda. The 2030 Agenda lists rising inequalities, natural resource depletion, environmental degradation and climate change among the greatest challenges of our time. It recognizes that social development and economic prosperity depend on the sustainable management of freshwater resources and ecosystems and it highlights the integrated nature of SDGs.

This first synthesis report on SDG 6 seeks to inform discussions among Member States during the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in July 2018. It is an in-depth review and includes data on the global baseline status of SDG 6, the current situation and trends at global and regional levels, and what more needs to be done to achieve this goal by 2030. The report is based on the latest data available for the 11 SDG 6 global indicators1 selected by Member States to track progress towards the eight global targets, plus complementary data and evidence from a wide range of sources.

B. Sustainable water and sanitation for all

Fresh water, in sufficient quantity and quality, is essential for all aspects of life and sustainable development. The human rights to water and sanitation are widely recognized by Member States. Water resources are embedded in all forms of development (e.g. food security, health promotion and poverty reduction), in sustaining economic growth in agriculture, industry and energy generation, and in maintaining healthy ecosystems.

Water-related ecosystems and the environment have always provided natural sites for human settlements and civilizations, bringing benefits such as transportation, natural purification, irrigation, flood protection and habitats for biodiversity. However, population growth, agricultural intensification, urbanization, industrial production and pollution, and climate change are beginning to overwhelm and undermine nature’s ability to provide key functions and services. Estimates suggest that if the natural environment continues to be degraded and unsustainable pressures put on global water resources, 45 per cent of the global gross domestic product, 52 per cent of the world’s population and 40 per cent of global grain production will be put at risk by 2050. Poor and marginalized populations will be disproportionately affected, further exacerbating rising inequalities.

Agriculture (including irrigation, livestock and aquaculture) is by far the largest water consumer, accounting for 69 per cent of annual water withdrawals globally. Industry (including power generation) accounts for 19 per cent and households for 12 per cent. All these water uses can pollute freshwater resources. Most wastewater from municipal, industrial and agricultural sources is discharged back into water bodies without treatment. If not treated, this pollution further reduces the availability of fresh water for drinking and other uses, and also degrades ecosystems.

There is a growing consensus that the challenges can be met by adopting a more integrated approach to managing and allocating water resources, including the protection of ecosystems upon which societies and economies depend. The concept of integrated water resources management (IWRM) is embedded in the 2030 Agenda and requires governments to consider how water resources link different parts of society and how decisions in one sector may affect water users in other sectors. It is an approach that must involve all actors and stakeholders, from all levels, who use and potentially pollute water so that it is managed equitably and sustainably.