Introduction
Water Challenges and Sustainable Development
A Critical Reflection on the SDGs
History
Targets | Indicators |
---|---|
6.1 By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all | 6.1.1 Proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services |
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 | 6.2.1 Proportion of population using safely managed sanitation services, including a hand-washing facility with soap and water |
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 | 6.3.1 Proportion of wastewater safely treated 6.3.2 Proportion of bodies of water with good ambient water quality |
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 | 6.4.1 Change in water-use efficiency over time 6.4.2 Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources |
6.5 By 2030, implement integrated water resources management at all levels, including through transboundary cooperation as appropriate | 6.5.1 Degree of integrated water resources management implementation (0–100) 6.5.2 Proportion of transboundary basin area with an operational arrangement for water cooperation |
6.6 By 2020, protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers, and lakes | 6.6.1 Change in the extent of water-related ecosystems over time |
6.A By 2030, expand international cooperation and capacity-building support to developing countries in water- and sanitation-related activities and programs, including water harvesting, desalination, water efficiency, wastewater treatment, recycling, and reuse technologies | 6.A.1 Amount of water- and sanitation-related official development assistance that is part of a government-coordinated spending plan |
6.B Support and strengthen the participation of local communities in improving water and sanitation management | 6.B.1 Proportion of local administrative units with established and operational policies and procedures for participation of local communities in water and sanitation management |
Trade-offs and synergies
The Implementation of the SDGs
SDGs and support for national water policies
SDG monitoring programs
SDG 6 and integrated water resources management
Knowledge Gap and Research Questions
Development of a Framework of Water-related Indicators at National Level
Literature Review
Identification of Suitable Indicators
Indicator Requirements
Easy to access | Specific (simple, sensible, significant). |
Easy to understand | Measurable (meaningful, motivating). |
Timely and relevant | Achievable (agreed, attainable). |
Reliable and consistent | Relevant (reasonable, realistic and resourced, results-based). |
Credible, transparent, and accurate | Time bound (time-based, time limited, time/cost limited, timely, time-sensitive). |
Developed with the end user in mind |
Indicator calculation
Framework Analysis
Results
Indexes for Water Management
Indicator frameworks | Source |
---|---|
National Water Management Index | Asian Development Bank (2016) |
City Blueprint Framework | |
Canadian Water Sustainability Index | Government of Canada (Policy Research Initiative 2007) |
City Resilience Index | Arup (2014) |
Environmental Performance Index | Wendling et al. (2018) |
Global water security Index | Gain et al. (2016) |
Sustainable City Water Index | Batten (2016) |
SWESES | Kılkış (2018) |
TWAP-rivers | UNEP-DHI and UNEP (2016) |
Alignment of the SDGs with Current IWRM Indicators
Indicator Development, Selection, and Application
The selection of indicators
Category | Indicator | Target | Reasoning |
---|---|---|---|
I. Water stress | 1. Water scarcity | 20% of renewable water sources | The 20% of renewable source is the indicator set by the EEA of what is a sustainable amount of extraction. Achieving this indicator ensures sustainable rates of water extraction. |
2. Flood Vulnerability | Low risk | With the increased risk of flooding for Europe, the target for achieving low flood risk would indicate sufficient flood prevention investment. | |
3. Transboundary cooperation | Low risk | Ensuring that all rivers gain a score of 1 regarding the Legal agreements for transboundary rivers according to the TWAP research assessment. | |
4. Tertiary education attainment | 40% of 25–64 years old | ||
II. Water quality | 5. Surface water quality | Good score | The target is progression toward achieving a good score according to the WFD. |
6. Groundwater quality | Good score | The target is progression toward achieving a good score according to the WFD. | |
7. Ecological water quality | Good score | The target is progression toward achieving a good score according to the WFD. | |
III. Access to basic services | 8. Drinking water quality | 100% | This indicates that the quality of water supplied is good for human consumption without further filtering. |
9. Drinking water connection | 100% | Indicates the population connected to a drinking water supply within their home. | |
10. Sanitation connection | 100% | This indicates the percentage of the population connected to safely managed, nonshared sanitation facilities. The highest level of sanitation measurement by the JMP for the SDGs (JMP 2017). | |
11. Water affordability | 100% affordable <4% income | Whilst increasing water tariffs is a way of reducing water consumption, this indicator monitors whether the water remains affordable for the population. | |
IV. Infrastructure | 12. Infrastructure investment | 3.8% GDP | In order to ensure current infrastructure is maintained and developed, the level of infrastructure investment needs to be 3.8% GDP according to McKinsey and company. |
13. Water leakage (%) | 0% | This indicates the quality of water infrastructure. 0% leakage would indicate efficient water usage. | |
V. Wastewater treatment | 14. Secondary WWT (%) | 100% | This indicates the number of countries that have reached secondary wastewater treatment (WWT). |
15. Tertiary WWT (%) | 100% | This indicates those countries which are improving their water usage to allow reuse and fit with the target of achieving a more circular economy. | |
16. Nutrient recovery (%) | 100% | This indicates the amount of nutrients reclaimed from the used water. For a circular economy to be achieved all nutrients must be recovered. | |
17. Waste water to energy | 100% | This indicator shows the development of energy capture from wastewater. This can show developments in the standard of wastewater processing, and energy efficiency of the water cycle. | |
VI. Solid waste (SW) treatment | 18. SW generated | 10% less than 2010 levels | The target for Europe is to prevent waste being produced, as well as to increase recycling. The target of 10% less waste produced than 2010 quantities is the Spanish target for 2020 and has been set as the European standard. |
19. SW recycled (%) | 65% total | This indicator shows the progression toward the EU 2030 recycling target. | |
20. SW to energy (%) | 100% | This indicator shows the progression toward achieving a circular economy by gaining energy from waste. | |
VII. Climate adaptation | 21. CO2 emission per capita | 32% of 1990 levels | The current European targets to reduce the CO2 emission to 27% lower than 1990 levels. |
22. Renewable energy (% of total) | 32% | The European policy to reduce waste by 2030 includes a recycling target of 40% of total waste by 2030. This indicator can also show progress toward material use for the circular economy. | |
23. Notre Dame Readiness Index | 100% | The Notre Dame Readiness Index scores progression toward readiness to climate change. The highest level of “readiness” is 100. | |
24. IWRM | 100% | The percentage of IWRM. This shows progression toward SDG target 6.5.1. |
Linking the selected indicators with the SDGs
NBF indicators | SDG direct goal link | Indirect SDG 6 link | SDG goal interlinkages |
---|---|---|---|
1. Water scarcity | 6.4.2 | 16, 8, 2 | |
2. Flood vulnerability | 15, 13 | ||
3. Transboundary cooperation | 6.5.2 | 17 | |
4. Tertiary education attainment | 4, 9 | ||
5. Surface water quality | 6.3.2 | 15, 3 | |
6. Groundwater quality | 6.3.2 | 15 | |
7. Ecological water quality | 6.3.2 | 3, 15 | |
8. Drinking water quality | 6.1.1 | 3, 2 | |
9. Drinking water connection | 6.1 | 3, 15, 5, 4 | |
10. Sanitation connection | 3, 5 | ||
11. Water affordability | 1, 10 | ||
12. Infrastructure investment | 6.2 | 9 | |
13. Water leakage (%) | 6.4 | 9, 11, 12 | |
14. Secondary WWT (%) | 6.3.1 | 3, 11 | |
15. Tertiary WWT (%) | 6.3 | 3, 11 | |
16. Nutrient recovery (%) | 11, 12 | ||
17. Waste water to energy | 7, 11 | ||
18. SW generated | 11 | ||
19. SW recycled (%) | 12.5 | 11, 13, 12 | |
20. SW to energy (%) | 7, 11, 12 | ||
21. CO2 emission per capita | 13 | ||
22. Renewable energy % total | 7, 11, 13 | ||
23. Notre Dame Readiness Index | 13 | ||
24. IWRM | 6.5.1 | 17, 12 |