"Although we take it for granted, sanitation is a physical measure that has probably done more to increase human life span than any kind of drug or surgery"
Deepak Chopra
Water is essential to life. It constitutes up to 65% of the human body and 90% of the structure of plants. Thus, if deprived of water, no living being can survive for long. Nevertheless, this fundamental element to existence is seriously threatened because of pollution of rivers, suffers shortages in certain regions of the world and costly management in cities.
06 Clean Water and Sanitation
Water scarcity affects more than 40 percent of people, an alarming figure that is projected to rise as temperatures do. Although 2.1 billion people have improved water sanitation since 1990, dwindling drinking water supplies are affecting every continent.
More and more countries are experiencing water stress, and increasing drought and desertification is already worsening these trends. By 2050, it is projected that at least one in four people will suffer recurring water shortages.
Safe and affordable drinking water for all by 2030 requires we invest in adequate infrastructure, provide sanitation facilities, and encourage hygiene. Protecting and restoring water-related ecosystems is essential.
Ensuring universal safe and affordable drinking water involves reaching over 800 million people who lack basic services and improving accessibility and safety of services for over two billion.
In 2015, 4.5 billion people lacked safely managed sanitation services (with adequately disposed or treated excreta) and 2.3 billion lacked even basic sanitation.
SDG 6 Explained
SDG 6 Clean Water
5.2 billion
71 percent of the global population, 5.2 billion people, had safely-managed drinking water in 2015, but 844 million people still lacked even basic drinking water.
2.9 billion
39 percent of the global population, 2.9 billion people, had safe sanitation in 2015, but 2.3 billion people still lacked basic sanitation. 892 million people practiced open defecation.
80%
80 percent of wastewater goes into waterways without adequate treatment.
2 billion
Water stress affects more than 2 billion people, with this figure projected to increase.
80%
80 percent of countries have laid the foundations for integrated water resources management.
70%
The world has lost 70 percent of its natural wetlands over the last century.
More SDG 6 Info
SDG 6: Clear Water
SDG 6 Thomas & Friends
SDG 6 Ted Talk
Website: UN Sustainable Development Goals
This website provides facts, targets, printouts, links and related stories and videos about SDG 6 - Clean Water.
Clean, accessible water for all is an essential part of the world we want to live in and there is sufficient fresh water on the planet to achieve this. However, due to bad economics or poor infrastructure, millions of people including children die every year 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. At the current time, more than 2 billion people are living with the risk of reduced access to freshwater resources and by 2050, at least one in four people is likely to live in a country affected by chronic or recurring shortages of fresh water. Drought in specific afflicts some of the world’s poorest countries, worsening hunger and malnutrition. Fortunately, there has been great progress made in the past decade regarding drinking sources and sanitation, whereby over 90% of the world’s population now has access to improved sources of drinking water.
Website: SDG Goal Tracker
SDG 6 Targets
This website provides facts, targets, and related stories about programmes contributing to SDG 6 - Clean Water.
6.1 By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all
6.2 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
6.3 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
