Clean water and sanitation – supporting UN SDG 6

The United Nations has 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is a universal framework for action to end extreme poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and protect our planet.

Goal 6 seeks to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all people.

The demand for water has outpaced population growth, and half the world’s population is already experiencing severe water scarcity at least one month a year. Access to water, sanitation and hygiene is a human right, yet billions are still faced with daily challenges.

• 1/3 of people lack access to safely managed drinking water services
• About 3 billion people lack access to basic sanitation services, such as toilets or latrines.
• More than 80% of wastewater resulting from human activities is discharged into rivers or sea without any treatment, leading to pollution.

This collection is split into categories:

• water quality
• sources of water pollution
• wastewater treatment

Water quality

The factors that affect water quality include where the water comes from, what is in the environment in the collection area and how it is treated.

The following resources explore factors that affect water quality.

Nature.com has maps that show:

• Countries with access to safe water
• Countries with unsafe water
• Countries with water scarcity or sufficiency

https://www.nature.com/nature/focus/water/map.html

Sources of water pollution

The following resources explore different means by which water can become polluted. Some of the resources show how scientists are working to identify sources to prevent future contamination.

Wastewater treatment

Wastewater contains bacteria, viruses and other contaminants that can make people sick. It is vital that wastewater is treated before being discharged to a waterway.

The following resources explore wastewater treatment methods used in New Zealand.