The following article was written by UNA Coventry volunteer Promise Siweku.

Introduction

The Sustainable Developmental Goals (SDGs) number 6 of the 17 goals aims to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

Sanitation and water are fundamental human rights recognised by the United Nations, yet billions of individuals worldwide lack access to water and sanitation. Water is central to the survival of humans and the general well-being of the population, while sanitation ensures the prevention of disease and enhances the quality of life.

Disparity in the availability of water and sanitation continues to be a significant issue in low-income and developing nations. This article examines the situation of water and sanitation on a global scale, their SDG targets, impacts on health, and how availability can be boosted.

Global scale

The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) have estimated that 27% of the global population (2.2 billion individuals) lack access to safely managed drinking water. This is 1.5 billion people with a basic supply of water, but not necessarily outside the house or unsafe. The remaining 703 million people without basic facilities either had to walk more than 30 minutes to fetch water from outside the house (292 million), used unprotected sources (296 million), or used river or lake water without being treated (115 million)—sources most likely to be contaminated.

43% of the global population (3.5 billion people) lack access to safely managed sanitation facilities. 1.9 billion people used basic private toilets or latrines. 570 million people use shared toilets by more than one household. 545 million people use latrines or buckets that are not constructed properly, and 419 million people defecate in the open. (WHO & UNICEF, 2022).

WHO states that nearly 829,000 deaths each year are linked to waterborne diarrhoeal diseases and poor sanitation (WHO, 2020).

Dirty water and poor sanitation have numerous health side effects, particularly for children. They result in malnutrition, stunted growth, and child death.

Water

The lack of clean water is caused by climate change, pollution, inadequate infrastructure, and urbanisation. The water sources are also overburdened by water misuse, leading to the crisis of unsafe water.

SDG target 6.1 is to have universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water. The measure used to monitor progress is the percent of the population served by safely managed drinking water services, which is the percent served by an improved drinking water source (the MDG monitor indicator) located on premises, available when required, and without faecal and priority chemical contamination.

Sanitation

Sanitation involves safe disposal of urine and faeces, use of hygiene practices such as handwashing, and clean water for toilet use. Poor sanitation is the primary cause of waterborne diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea, and dysentery.

Open defecation occurs in the sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia regions, with millions of people lacking basic sanitation facilities. Poor sanitation facilities contaminate the water source for use as drinking water (JMP, 2020).

SDG target 6.2 is to have access to safe and equitable sanitation and to eliminate open defecation. The indicator to track progress is the percentage of the population with safely managed sanitation services.

Availability and Sustainability Management

Sanitation and water are international issues to be tackled with haste. While the supply of clean water and sanitation facilities improves each year, much remains to be done in the poor countries. All these issues are tackled through a combination of the construction of infrastructure, policy reform, technological advancements, and community support.

Upgraded sanitation facilities, low-cost water purification technology, and solar-powered pumps are the driving factors for expanding access. Sanitation initiatives by community groups, awareness campaigns, water conservation initiatives, and pro-conservation water policies are equally significant.

Prioritising water and sanitation can make the advancement of the public’s health, poverty reduction, and the facilitation of sustainable development possible.

Investment in water and sanitation translates into many advantages in the fields of public health benefit, productivity, and standard of living.

Different international bodies, governments, and NGOs are working towards solving water and sanitation issues. The United Nations SDG6 is pledged to the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for everyone by the year 2030. The WHO-UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP), WaterAid, and the World Bank’s Water Global Practice have been at the forefront in ensuring increased access to water and sanitation.

References

United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Sustainable Development: https://sdgs.un.org/goals

World Health Organisation (2023). Water, Sanitation, and Health: https://www.who.int/teams/environment-climate-change-and-health/water-sanitation-and-health/monitoring-and-evidence/wash-monitoring

World Bank (2018). The Costs of Poor Sanitation: https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/sanitation

UNICEF (2021). Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH): https://www.unicef.org/water-sanitation-and-hygiene-wash

WHO & UNICEF (2019). Progress on Household Drinking Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene 2000–2017: Special Focus on Inequalities: https://www.unicef.org/reports/progress-on-drinking-water-sanitation-and-hygiene-2019

World Bank. (2018). The Costs of Poor Sanitation: https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/sanitation

JMP (2020). WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation, and Hygiene (JMP) Report: https://washdata.org/reports