Goal 6 : Ensure
access to water and sanitation for all
Clean, accessible water for all is an essential
part of the world we want to live in. There is sufficient fresh
water on the planet to achieve this. But due to bad economics or
poor infrastructure, every year millions of people, most of them
children, die from diseases associated with inadequate water supply,
sanitation and hygiene.
Water scarcity, poor water quality and inadequate sanitation negatively
impact food security, livelihood choices and educational opportunities
for poor families across the world. Drought afflicts some of the
world’s poorest countries, worsening hunger and malnutrition.
By 2050, at least one in four people is likely to live in a country
affected by chronic or recurring shortages of fresh water.
Facts & figures
- 2.6 billion people have gained access to improved drinking water
sources since 1990, but 663 million people are still without
- At least 1.8 billion people globally use a source of drinking
water that is fecally contaminated
- Between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of the global population
using an improved drinking water source has increased from 76 per
cent to 91 per cent
But water scarcity affects more than 40 per cent of the global population
and is projected to rise. Over 1.7 billion people are currently
living in river basins where water use exceeds recharge
- 2.4 billion people lack access to basic sanitation services,
such as toilets or latrines
More than 80 per cent of wastewater resulting from human activities
is discharged into rivers or sea without any pollution removal
- Each day,nearly 1,000 children die due to preventable water and
sanitation-related diarrhoeal diseases
- Hydropower is the most important and widely-used renewable source
of energy and as of 2011, represented 16 per cent of total electricity
production worldwide
Approximately 70 per cent of all water abstracted from rivers, lakes
and aquifers is used for irrigation
- Floods and other water-related disasters account for 70 per cent
of all deaths related to natural disasters
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By 2030, achieve universal and equitable
access to safe and affordable drinking water for all
- 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
-
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
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
-
By 2030, implement integrated water resources
management at all levels, including through transboundary cooperation
as appropriate
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By 2020, protect and restore water-related
ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers,
aquifers and lakes
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By 2030, expand international cooperation
and capacity-building support to developing countries in water-
and sanitation-related activities and programmes, including
water harvesting, desalination, water efficiency, wastewater
treatment, recycling and reuse technologies
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Support and strengthen the participation
of local communities in improving water and sanitation management
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