Goal 6. Water & Sanitation

More than 800’000 deaths are caused each year by unsafe water and poor sanitation. ICTs are particularly important for smart water management, facilitating the measurement and monitoring of water supplies as well as necessary interventions, and enabling practitioners at the local level to ensure the equitable and sustainable extension of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services. As the costs of ICTs continues to fall, governments will be able to better integrate ICTs into monitoring and evaluation frameworks to optimize operations and improve the quality of service.

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Stats

Diseases from unsafe water and lack of basic sanitation kill more people every year than all forms of violence, including war. Children under five years old account for 90% of the 30,000 deaths that occur every week from unsafe water and unhygienic living conditions.¹

¹ Source: CharityWater.org

Case study – Somalia

Somalia Water and Land Information Management (SWALIM) is a long term programme launched by FAO which is aimed at enabling Somali institutions to provide crucial information in support of decision making in natural resources management, early warning, preparedness, and resilience building by relevant institutions and other users in Somalia.
The project has built a comprehensive set of Somali water and land resources information knowledge bases through field surveys and assessments, desk studies, and the recovery of information lost in 1991. The key datasets have been organized into a number of structured information systems. SWALIM has also established a capacity building programme for Somali government institutions that includes six ministry data centres, a ministry staff support scheme, a train-the-trainers programme and a support facility for ministry field monitoring.
Related links:
SWALIM and WSIS Stocktaking

Sound Bite

"We have the ability to provide clean water for every man, woman and child on the Earth. What has been lacking is the collective will to accomplish this. What are we waiting for?"

Jean-Michel Cousteau
French environmentalist and explorer

Blogs
Resources
Goal & Targets SDG-6

The Digitisation of Sanitation:
Toilet Board Coalition.

Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all

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.
6.4 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.
6.5 By 2030, implement integrated water resources management at all levels, including through transboundary cooperation as appropriate.
6.6 By 2020, protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes.
6.a 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.
6.b Support and strengthen the participation of local communities in improving water and sanitation management.