SDG 6 - Clean Water and Sanitation - Sustainable Development Goal

UN SDG 6 main goal is to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. However, the most recent UN report on Water warned of an approaching global water crisis because of pollution, global warming and overconsumption.

In today’s blog, you'll read about some of the main problems related to water and sanitation that are included in the United Nations Agenda, but are far away from being solved.

Access to clean water & sanitation

Access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene is the most basic human need for health and well-being, and still having unlimited water running out of the sink is a privilege:

In 2020, only 74% of the global population had access to safely managed drinking water services. Meaning that two billion people live without these services.

Sanitation is essential to prevent diseases such as diarrhoea which is the second leading cause of death in children under five. 946 million people still openly defecate and 2.4 billion people lack access to basic sanitation (7 out of 10 in rural areas).  

Droughts

Periods of severe droughts are becoming more frequent due to climate change. The negative consequences are multiple, such as:

• Decrease in food production: Spain has lived one of the longest drought periods, leading to a shortage of crops, and putting livestock farming at risk as farmers can’t feed their animals.
•  Humans forced to migrate: Human migration due to droughts is increasing year by year. In the Horn of Africa, an estimated 1.8 million people were displaced by drought. 

This map is showing Water stress predictions by 2040. A higher percentage means more water users are competing for limited supplies. 

Water Pollution

Water is contaminated by different pollutants, from human waste to highly industrial discharges. Treating wastewater is costly and difficult (sometimes it becomes impossible to eliminate pollutants). That’s why 80 percent of global wastewater goes untreated, contaminating food chains and causing critical human health diseases such as cholera or diarrhoea.

Water and Gender

Gender inequalities that arise from the water sector:

• When women don’t have access to water and soap, combined with cultural barriers and lack of medical care, it becomes difficult to handle menstrual hygiene. In these societies, when young girls get their first period, they abandon school. Therefore, the lack of menstrual sanitation perpetuates inequalities between boys and girls from a very young age.
• In places where’s difficult to access water, women are usually responsible for water collection and they need to walk kilometres to get it, which rests time for them to develop working and educational skills and they become dependent on the men’s incomes.

What would the world look like if SDG 6 was fully implemented?

If SDG 6 was fully implemented, there will be available clean and safe water for all. A world where everyone would have access to basic sanitation, children won’t die for diseases such as diarrhoea and all women could handle their menstruation hygiene. It would also be the end of gender inequalities derived from poor access to water.

This goal would also impact the improvement of ecosystems as it would protect and restore mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes.

As we’ve seen, this SDG is highly linked to climate change. Therefore, a world with this SDG achieved, is a world where we’ve mitigated droughts’ impacts. This means that no more humans would be forced to migrate and there won’t be risks of food shortages.

Achieving this goal is essential for guaranteeing human basic needs and rights and taking care of the planet.

What can we do to assist this sustainable development goal?

Governments should support and strengthen the participation of local communities in improving water and sanitation management including water harvesting, desalination, water efficiency, wastewater treatment, recycling and reuse technologies.

The private sector is also responsible on improving 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.

And what about us as individuals?

• Collective action:
  • Research more on UN SDG 6 targets and indicators and find ways to expand your knowledge.
  • Advocate for the right to clean water
  • Volunteer in an NGO that works to make clean water a global reality (The Sustainable Water Network (SWAN) is a network of 25 of Ireland's environmental NGOs, national and regional, working together to protect and enhance Ireland's water environment)
• Reduce water consumption:
  • Take shorter showers
  • Turn off taps while brushing your teeth and soaping up dishes.
• Eliminate all single use items:
  • Buy shampoo and/or soap bars instead of using toiletries in plastic bottles.
  • Use a reusable water bottle to avoid plastic waste.
• Improve sanitation:
  • Wash your hands regularly.
  • Wash all utensils, containers, surfaces before preparing food
  • Dispose of solid waste generated at home safely
  • Deep clean the toilet, at least, once a week.
• Don't contaminate water resources:
  • Research how to make homemade dishwasher products and try it for yourself.
  • Educate yourself on how chemical products can contaminate water resources
  • Use natural detergents to clean your house.
  • Choose clothing made of organic fibre instead of synthetic-made items because they release microplastics when washed

Empower Change Through Education

If we want a water secure future, we need to teach it - not just hope for it.

So where do you start?

• Explore our courses to learn how to bring sustainability, peace and social responsibility into your work or classroom.
• Book a call with our team to see how you can support your organisation or school.
• Or, if you're just getting started, listen to our podcast series for chaotic, but insightful discussions about everything sustainability.

Whether you're an educator, a business, or simply someone who wants to try, there's a way for you to be a part of the change. 

Building a better world shouldn't feel overwhelming, it should feel possible. 

Thank you for reading, 

The Fifty Shades Greener Team 💚