The latest updates from the UN on progress with the Sustainable Development Goals highlight the huge amount that remains to be done by the 2030 deadline – for the SDGs overall and for ‘our’ SDG 6 on water.
The top-line summary for the SDGs is that the world is on track for only 17% of the associated targets. There is minimal or moderate progress on almost half of them. That leaves more than one third where progress has stalled or where there has even been regression.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres calls The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2024 “sobering reading”.
For SDG 6, progress on target 6.2, access to sanitation & hygiene, is summarised as moderate but with acceleration needed. There has been marginal progress, with significant acceleration needed, for targets 6.1, safe drinking water; 6.3, water quality; 6.4, water use efficiency; and 6.b, participatory water & sanitation management. Meanwhile, targets 6.5, transboundary water cooperation; and 6.6, water-related ecosystems, have stagnated, with 6.a, international cooperation on water & sanitation, regressing.
At the current speed, there will still be 2 billion people without safely managed drinking water in 2030, 3 billion without safely managed sanitation, and 1.4 billion without basic hygiene services.
Recently released SDG 6 progress reports look deeper, giving further cause of concern.
For water-related ecosystems, covered by indicator 6.6.1, the aggregated data show, for example, that in around half of countries one or more water-related ecosystem types are in a state of degradation.
For integrated water resources management, assessed by indicator 6.5.1, at the current rate, sustainable management will be achieved no sooner than 2049, with at least 3.3 billion people likely to be lacking effective governance as of 2030.
Indicator 6.3.1 tracks wastewater treatment. While figures are given for the proportion of wastewater receiving some treatment (76%) and being treated ‘safely’ (60%), there is a glaring problem. Only 107 countries reported some wastewater statistics, and the figures for ‘some’ and ‘safe’ treatment could only be calculated for 73 and 42 countries respectively. This picture was worse for the industrial wastewater component, with data reported from only 22 countries.
Meanwhile, indicator 6.3.2 covers ambient water quality. The progress report here states that, by 2030, the health and livelihoods of 4.8 billion people could be at risk. Here, 120 countries reported on the indicator following a 2023 push. If 120 sounds low, the year before there was reporting by only 89 countries.
The message is that a huge amount still needs to be done to achieve SDG 6. This requires commitment and, as ever, investment. But the message is also that there are great gaps in our understanding.
Water is not alone, and this is why the wider SDG report calls for action on data. There is good data coverage for 68% of indicators and, in fact, SDG 6 overall compares quite well with other goals. The opportunity ahead is to evolve the role of national statistical offices, build data partnerships, including with municipal and city governments, and engage citizens in data production. Not only does the water sector have a part to play in this, but it can also demonstrate leadership in the move to harness the power of data.
Keith Hayward, Editor
