Sustainable Development Goal 6 - Clean water and sanitation
Goal 6:
Ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all ,is one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals set by the UN in 2015.
The official wording is: “Ensure a healthy life and promote prosperity for all ages The goals cover and focus on various aspects of sustainable governance of water resources.
6.1 Ensuring by 2030 universal and equal access for all to safe drinking water at an affordable price.
6.2 Ensure, by 2030, access to appropriate sanitation and hygiene facilities for all and eliminate the practice of outdoor defecation, paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and vulnerable people.
6.3 Improving water quality by 2030 by reducing pollution, eliminating waste disposal and minimizing the release of hazardous chemicals and materials; halving the share of untreated wastewater and significantly increasing the recycling and safe reuse of water worldwide.
6.4 Significantly increase by 2030 the efficiency of water use in all sectors and areas of activity and ensure sustainable water abstraction and access to fresh water in order to address water scarcity and significantly reduce the number of people suffering from water scarcity.
6.5 Implement, by 2030, integrated water resources management at all levels, including through cross-border cooperation where appropriate.
6.6 Conservation and restoration by 2020 of water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes.
6.a Expand by 2030 international cooperation and support to developing countries for capacity building on water and sanitation activities and programs, including water collection, desalination, water efficiency, wastewater treatment, recycling technologies and reuse.
6.b Support and enhance the involvement of local communities in improving water and sanitation management.
Clean and accessible water is an essential part of the world we want to live in. There is enough fresh water on the planet to achieve this. But due to a poor economy or poor infrastructure, millions of people die each year, most of them children, from diseases related to water shortages, sanitation and hygiene.
What is the purpose? Ensure access to safe water sources and sanitation for all.
Why? Access to water, sanitation and hygiene is a human right, although billions of people still face daily challenges, accessing the most basic of them. About 1.8 billion people worldwide use a polluted source of drinking water. About 2.4 billion people do not have access to basic sanitation services, such as toilets. Water scarcity affects more than 40% of the world’s population and is expected to increase. More than 80% of human wastewater is discharged into rivers or seas, leading to pollution.
What are the consequences of this? Contaminated water and sanitation-related diseases remain among the leading causes of death in children under 5; More than 800 children die every day from diseases related to poor hygiene. Adequate water and sanitation are essential to achieving the goals of sustainable development, including good health and gender equality. Through sustainable water management, we are able to better manage our food and energy production and contribute to decent work and economic growth. In addition, we can protect our aquatic ecosystems, their biodiversity and take action on climate change.
What would it cost to fix the problem? A study by the World Bank, UNICEF and the World Health Organization predicts that the expansion of basic water and sanitation services will cost $ 28.4 billion a year from 2015 to 2030, or 0.10 percent of the world’s product from 140 countries. .
What would it cost if we didn’t fix the problem? The costs are huge – both for the people and for the economy. Worldwide, more than 2 million people die from diarrhea. Poor hygiene and dangerous water are the cause of nearly 90% of these deaths and mostly affect children. The economic impact of not investing in water and sanitation costs 4.3% of GDP in sub-Saharan Africa.
Civil society organizations must work and hold governments accountable, invest in water research and development, and promote the involvement of women and youth in water management.
In Bulgaria, nearly 24% of children under 6 have no bathroom or shower in their homes, according to Eurostat data for 2014. The same percentage for EU countries is 2.4%.
EU cohesion policy has for many years strongly supported Member States’ efforts to develop and improve infrastructures, such as access to drinking water and wastewater services. For example, since 2007, more than 2.6 million people in nine different Member States have been provided with improved drinking water supplies thanks to EU financial support; another 5.7 million people, living in 14 different Member States have been associated with improved wastewater treatment. Over the last seven years (2007-2013), EU financial support for investment in drinking water supply and construction projects and infrastructure for wastewater has amounted to almost € 22 billion.
