Skip to main content
Top

2022 | Book

Safe Water and Sanitation for a Healthier World

A Global View of Progress Towards SDG 6

insite
SEARCH

About this book

This volume presents a review of global progress made towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6): Clean Water and Sanitation, part of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It builds on the latest data and statistics provided by the UN and other international organizations through chapters written by a wide variety of authors, including representatives of government ministries and departments, members of international organizations specializing in this area, academics and senior professionals.

The book details how SDG 6 is being approached in a number of geographic regions, with each chapter describing developments in a particular region or country. Supporting case studies presented in the book illustrate progress, achievements and challenges that remain in the effort to reach SDG 6 by 2030. The book is intended for academics/researchers, scientists, policymakers, practitioners, and all stakeholders working at the global, regional, national and local levels who support or are engaged with the implementation of SDG 6.

Table of Contents

Frontmatter
1. Introduction
Abstract
The work presents a review of the global progress made and readiness of nations toward achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) on water and sanitation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It builds on the latest information provided by the UN System and other international organizations on data and statistics. The mix of authors for the detailed chapters are representatives of Government Ministries/Departments, international organizations, academia or senior professionals with subject expertise on SDGs and who are also highly knowledgeable in their respective regions, which will lend the book important credibility.
Jay Rajapakse
2. The Objectives of Sustainable Development of Water and Sanitation in Latin America
Abstract
This chapter aims to analyze the possibilities and scenarios for the fulfillment of the Sustainable Development Goals of Water and Sanitation in Latin America. To this end, an analysis is made of the transition from the MDGs to the SDGs, and the challenge that the new qualitative principles impose in the water and sanitation indicators of the Sustainable Development goals represents for closing the gaps. Along these same lines, the first results obtained for some Latin American countries of the estimation of indicators 6.1, 6.2, and 6.3a are presented, as well as the information gaps derived from this exercise, accompanied by a proposal to generate/obtain information to have good quality indicators. Additionally, successful experiences of elimination of open defecation are analyzed as part of the sanitation ladder. As well as the inequities in the access to these services are discussed as part of the problem that revolves around the fulfillment of the SDGs, this being in turn one of the main causes of the breach of human rights to water and sanitation.
Teofilo Carlos N. Monteiro, Hildegarde Venero, Rosa M. Alcayhuman, Rodrigo Coelho de Carvalho
3. Safe Water and Sanitation for a Healthier Caribbean
Abstract
The challenge of meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6, especially given climate change, disaster risks, poverty, and the economic disruption caused by COVID-19, is a major concern of Caribbean governments and policymakers. Anthropogenic pressures along with climate change impacts are significantly affecting water and sanitation services. Several Caribbean islands are already experiencing water insecurity arising from climate change and variability impacts on their freshwater resources. Paradoxically, many countries, with a few exceptions, have sufficient water resources to meet demand. A critical issue is that existing infrastructure, management, and institutional frameworks that should close the supply–demand gap are obsolete. In several countries water management institutions have not been substantially transformed for over 60 years. Growing demands for wastewater management due to population increase along with the inability of the Region’s governments to modernise sewerage treatment facilities have undermined efforts to ensure sanitation for all by 2030. Economic disruption from COVID-19 is expected to slow and divert investment in water and sanitation improvements to other critical sectors. This paper seeks to investigate difficulties in achieving Goal 6 and propose measures to accelerate the Caribbean potential to stay on track to meet this goal by 2030. Trinidad and Barbados were used as case studies. Although they differ from each other in several respects, for this reason these case studies allow salient lessons to be distilled and help craft key recommendations that would have applicability to a wide cross-section of Caribbean countries.
Michelle Mycoo
4. Safe Water and Sanitation for a Healthier World: A Global View of Progress Towards SDG 6- Africa
Abstract
Among the world’s regions, sub-Saharan Africa is lagging in progress in achieving the SDG 6 targets of universal access to water and sanitation. If sub-Saharan Africa continues with the current pace of progress, achieving the targets by 2030 are unlikely. Various challenges contribute to the slow pace of progress of the access to water and sanitation by the sub-Saharan Africa population. The author categorizes the challenges under two interlinked areas, physical water scarcity and economic water scarcity. The physical water scarcity refers to a lack of available water resources, and the economic water scarcity refers to limited water access resulting from insufficient financial resources. An in-depth analysis of the economic scarcity reveals a significant financing gap in Africa to meet the universal coverage of water and sanitation. The study proposes various options for financing mechanisms to close the gap. The conclusion is that African countries need to put an extraordinary effort into increasing the water and sanitation services’ annual coverage rate to achieve the SDG 6 targets by 2030.
Tekalign Tsige Sahilu
5. Sustainable Safe Water and Sanitation Interventions in Remote Parts of Ghana
Abstract
The role of a small non-government organisation (NGO) is significant in bringing safe water and sanitation to subsistence farming communities in remote parts of Ghana. The experience of the charity Ghana Outlook, a small NGO based in the United Kingdom working with small Ghanaian NGOs, illustrates how genuine involvement of beneficiaries, throughout the development and implementation of interventions, leads to successful outcomes. The process builds community ownership of the intervention. The community will lead at problem definition stage and their views will be decisive in the choice of intervention. They will provide unpaid labour to construct latrines, wells or sand dams and will nominate personnel to be trained in routine maintenance. They will enhance a borehole’s sustainability by carefully managing extraction of water.
Important practical insights into the design and construction of boreholes, latrines, and sand dams are presented, together with practical advice on the careful management of boreholes, operation of dry pit latrines and how to enable access to safe water during the short but critical periods of labour-intensive farming.
For safe water projects, two indicators of performance are presented. First, does it give everyone enough safe water for basic, daily needs? Second, does it relieve the burden of responsibility, borne by women and children, to provide water? Examples are given on how to measure the indicators.
John S. Walker
6. Russia’s Readiness to Achieve SDG 6 in Drinking Water and Sanitation by 2030
Abstract
In Russia, there are over 2.5 million large and small rivers, more than 2 million lakes, hundreds of thousands of swamps and other water resources. Russia is experiencing a water shortage in a number of regions. The main reason for this is the extremely uneven distribution of water resources over the water basins of the country. The Far Eastern and Siberian Federal Districts (FDs) are very well provided with water resources, the Ural and North-Western FDs are somewhat less well supplied; The most densely populated districts—Privolzhsky, Central, Crimean, and North Caucasian districts—have limited water resources. The water resource management with comprehensive and reliable data collection methods with statistical observations are discussed. Impact of the development of digital economy and telecommunications infrastructure on reducing inequalities, such as SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being) is highlighted. The chapter briefly discusses how Russia has progressed toward achieving each of the SDG6 targets 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 6.5, 6.6, 6a and 6b. The current environmental situation in Russia requires many measures for regeneration, protection, and rational use of water resources. There is a need for safe and effective water engineering works to provide a reliable supply for the population, and for industrial and agricultural enterprises.
S. N. Bobylev, A. V. Shevchuk
7. Progress of SDG6 Goals in China Since 2015
Abstract
China has fully implemented and progressed far towards the completion of the relevant goals of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and has actively participated in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2016 (SDG6). This chapter summarizes SDG6 under three headings: drinking water safety, environmental sanitation, and water resources management. Mainly employing the latest and most authoritative data, it summarizes China’s plans and achievements for the successful completion of SDG6 since the implementation of SDGs. The differences between urban and rural areas are considered. Policies and regulations formulated in different years and the results achieved step by step are discussed in detail. In this way we hope to provide some method reference and experience for the smooth implementation of global SDG6.
Yan-Yan Yin, Le-Xi Zhang, Wei Wang
8. Readiness of South Asian Countries to Achieve SDG 6 Targets by 2030 in the Sanitation Sector
Abstract
In 2015, the United Nations Member States adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs) with the intent of bringing the world to a state of life-changing zeros—zero poverty, hunger, AIDS, and discrimination against women and girls. Historically, it has never been easy to achieve global targets and available estimates show that before COVID-19 pandemic, progress remained uneven and most countries were not on track to meet the goals by 2030. Some gains were visible including the decline of many communicable diseases, decline of the share of children and youth out of school, and improvement in access to safely managed drinking water. In spite of these gains, many Asian countries are behind other developing countries, in terms of key indicators for SDG 6 targets. The purpose of this paper is to review and examine the current progress of SGD 6 targets among selected countries in South Asia. The paper will specifically examine how these countries are working to achieve sanitation-related SGD targets 6 by 2030. We use a case study approach as our analytical framework, which is suitable for studying a contemporary situation to which local “real-life” context is intrinsically linked and where the research team has little or no control. We conduct a cross-country analysis to illustrate strategies that other countries can potentially adopt to move toward achieving their SGD targets and propose effective recommendations for the sanitation sector in these countries.
George Danso, Miriam Otoo
9. Readiness of Sri Lanka to Achieve SDG 6 Targets in Water and Sanitation by 2030
Abstract
Provision of safe drinking water is one of the Sri Lankan government’s priorities and targets are set periodically with regard to the achievements of safe drinking water access and adequate sanitation. The MDG7 target was met by Sri Lanka and the country found itself in a better position at the end of 2015, in the preparation towards SDG 6 targets. Sri Lanka is committed to work towards the Agenda 2030. The enactment of Sustainable Development Act, establishment of Sustainable Development Council, and the appointment of a Select Committee of Sri Lankan Parliament Board SDG 2030, in 2016 were some milestones towards this commitment. In 2020, the nodal agency for policy implementation, monitoring, and reporting in the drinking water and sanitation sector in Sri Lanka was the Ministry of Water Supply together with National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB or Water Board) and Department of National Community Water Supply. Revision of policies to reflect the sector policies by these bodies is continuously undertaken to achieve Agenda 2030 goals. The government’s accelerated programs to improve water supply coverage through short term, medium term, and long term projects by increasing capacity of existing treatment plants, laying new distribution pipes, developing new water supply and sewerage projects, and encouraging efficiency improvements are discussed. Sri Lanka has presented its first Voluntary National Review on SDGs to the UN High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) in 2018. The country’s current SDG progress in the water and sanitation is presented with many challenges facing the country, such as the impact of climate change on water quality and quantity, water quality issues due to inadequate treatment, community engagement, and many others exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
B. M. J. K. Balasooriya, Wasantha Illangasinghe, Sumitha Sumanaweera, Jay Rajapakse
10. Readiness of Solomon Islands in Meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Water and Sanitation
Abstract
Water and Sanitation in Solomon Islands is a sector that really needs attention, as water and sanitation services are lacking in many provinces. Some impact stories from the rural development program (RDP) are presented as baseline information.
To support the achievement of SDG 6 targets in “clean water and sanitation,” Solomon Islands has introduced the National Water Resource and Sanitary (WATSAN) Policy in 2017 and WATSAN Implementation Plan 2017–2033. The Government of Solomon Islands signed a Financing Agreement for €17.4 million with the European Union for “improving governance and access to water, sanitation and hygiene promotion (WASH) for rural people.” As a result, the rural WASH Program, now commonly known as RWASH Program was initiated. Improving health through community participation in RWASH project in Solomon Islands is discussed and achievements in water and sanitation for the period 2016–2020 are presented. In 2020, nationally, the population using an improved drinking water was at 73%, whereas the proportion of the population using an improved sanitation facility was 40.6% in the Solomon Islands.
The Rural WASH Strategic Plan 2015 to 2019 has set targets for improving access to water, sanitation (open defecation free, ODF), and hygiene services and includes both 5-year and 10-year targets. It is apparent now that the water target for 2019 was set too low at 52% but achieved 65.9% already in 2018 but no further progress made throughout 2019 and 2020, remaining at 65.9%. All three of the targets are extremely ambitious for 2024 at 100% or near 100%.
Cyril Bernard Rachman, Leonard Olivera, Yuyun Qomariyah
11. Poor Water Quality and Related Health Issues in Remote Indigenous Populations of Some of the World’s Wealthiest Nations
Abstract
The water supply and sanitation problems in developing countries have received considerable attention, but for similar communities in wealthier countries living conditions are often overlooked. This is particularly true in remote indigenous communities where water supply and sanitation conditions can be compared with those in poor developing countries. It is estimated that indigenous nations constitute some 370 million individuals, representing more than 5000 distinct peoples, living in more than 90 countries in all inhabited continents. Most of them live in developing countries, but there are also significant groups in countries with advanced economies, such as the USA, Canada, and Australia. Two case studies for each of these countries are presented highlighting the barriers to change and some efforts to overcome them in some of these communities.
Jay Rajapakse, Brian Hudson, Charlotte Brown
12. Common Themes, Accelerating Progress and Beyond 2030
Abstract
None of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) should be considered in isolation, as they are intricately linked in a complex system of interdependent targets and consequent actions (Cernev and Fenner, 2020). Attaining improvement toward one SDG by 2030 may come at the expense of another (Barbier & Burgess, 2017), whilst progress in one goal may be a pre-requisite to achieving success in others.
Richard Fenner
Backmatter
Metadata
Title
Safe Water and Sanitation for a Healthier World
Editor
Jay Rajapakse
Copyright Year
2022
Electronic ISBN
978-3-030-94020-1
Print ISBN
978-3-030-94019-5
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-94020-1