Sustainable Development Goal: Clean Water and Sanitation

For people and societies to be healthy, not only health care is essential, but above all access to clean water and adequate sanitation, as well as compliance with hygiene rules. Unfortunately, progress towards this goal, as with others, has been slowed by COVID-19. According to United Nations data, extremely accelerated progress is required to achieve this goal - without it, billions of people will be at risk of extremely poor living conditions. The demand for more and more water is due to the needs and pressures of agricultural development, increasing urbanization, the development of industry and the energy sector and, of course, population growth. We have gone through decades of overexploitation of the earth's resources and uncontrolled industry, which has led to the depletion of these resources and the destruction of the climate. The effect of this is already great droughts and climate change, which are causing problems with human health, forcing migration of peoples and being a real threat to the world, with the fact that in each of its regions this threat is associated with different dynamics. Of course, the areas that are at risk of the greatest loss of water are Africa (especially northern) and western Asia.

Years of management neglect, excessive water abstraction and water pollution have led to a deepening of the water deficit and the degradation of water-dependent ecosystems. The effects of these processes are reflected in human health, the economy and food and energy security. In order to meet social and economic needs in a fair and lasting way, it is necessary at least twice (!) increasing the pace of implementation of effective management of water resources in the world. Greater investment in water and sanitation infrastructure and intensified cooperation between countries that share common water resources are also needed. Unfortunately, at a time when large corporations and fuel companies, as well as many other huge companies are not responsible for production and operation and skillfully circumvent the law - this problem seems very difficult to solve.

The goal of drinking water, sanitation and hygiene - how to achieve it?

From the data presented in the report Global Water Monitor 2025 It is estimated that by 2025, a significant proportion of the world's population could experience severe difficulties with access to water. It is estimated that as many as 5 billion people will live in countries that consume more than 20% of their renewable water resources, indicating a growing deficit level. Climate change will further exacerbate these problems, increasing water hazards in many regions of the world. The increasingly rapid melting of glaciers, which play a critical role in seasonal water supply, not only leads to a reduction in available resources, but also increases the risk of natural disasters such as floods, droughts and landslides. Today, the biggest problems in terms of not only water but also sanitation are of course faced by Africa and West Asia (the problem, of course, was exacerbated by the war in Gaza). However, is there any progress in looking at the data in a few years relating to access to drinking water? For now, it is estimated that to achieve the UN target we would need up to a six-fold increase in current progress rates for safely managed drinking water, a fivefold increase in safely managed sanitation and a threefold increase in basic hygiene services.

What do the data from recent years say about progress? If we look at the data between 2015 and 2022, we see that the percentage of the population using safely managed drinking water increased from 69 to 73 percent. Those who had access to safely managed sanitation increased from 49 percent to 57 percent, and the share of people with basic hygiene services from 67 to 75 percent. How many were the people whose situation was most critical? Or those who still did not have safely managed drinking water? In 2022, it was 2.2 billion people. And 3.5 billion did not have safely managed sanitation. Disappearing wetlands and water purity Speaking about the alarming state of water resources on Earth, we often forget where we actually get water from and what makes us at risk of losing it. In addition to melting glaciers, wetlands also play a key role in the ecosystem. They are one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems — they are home to as many as 40% of the world's plant and animal species! Unfortunately, as a result of drainage, poor water management and land conversion, we have already lost more than 85% of these areas. The degradation of wetlands releases the carbon stored in them, which aggravates climate change and also increases the risk of spreading diseases. Since the 1970s, as many as 81% of wetland-dependent species have declined significantly, and many are threatened with extinction. Similar threats also apply to other aquatic ecosystems; rivers, lakes and reservoirs, which are rapidly changing under the influence of population growth, urbanization and climate change.

The level of water resources is one thing, but equally important (and often overlooked) is the issue of water quality and its monitoring. Access to water bodies alone does not mean that the water is suitable for drinking. In many cases, it comes from unproven sources, which is associated with a risk of disease and even a threat to life. In 2020, the water quality of rivers, lakes and aquifers in 97 countries was analyzed: the results showed that 60% of them had good environmental quality. However, as many as 99% of the assessments were from higher-income countries; only 1% came from the poorest countries. For at least 3 billion people, it is not known what the quality of the water they use is - mainly due to the lack of water monitoring. The situation is similar with groundwater, which is often the main source of fresh water - only about 60% of countries include it in their reports. Of course, untreated sewage and pollution from agriculture are a huge problem, which represent one of the main threats to the quality of water in the world. They introduce excess nutrients into rivers, lakes and groundwater, which disrupts the functioning of ecosystems. To protect freshwater resources (especially in rapidly growing regions such as Africa), improved agricultural practices and more effective wastewater treatment are needed. It is also crucial to build, as mentioned above, a good water quality monitoring system that will allow for rapid detection of hazards and response before the situation deteriorates significantly.

Water deficit A water deficit occurs when the consumption of fresh water exceeds 25% of the total renewable resources of this raw material. High levels of water stress can have serious consequences for the environment, as well as inhibit or reverse economic and social development, increasing the risk of competition and conflict between water users. Globally, in 2019, the average rate of water stress was 18.6%, which is still a safe level, however, this does not show large differences at the regional level. North Africa and Western Asia are examples of regions that have experienced critical levels of water stress in recent years. What can bring us closer to achieving the goal?

While UN figures indicate that the current pace of action is far too slow to meet the goal of ensuring access to clean water and adequate sanitation for all, there are lines of action that can help alleviate the water crisis. Sustainable resource management, investment in water purification and reuse technologies, and improved monitoring of water quality are key. Supporting the energy transition, including the development of renewable energy sources such as offshore wind, can indirectly affect the water situation, reducing pressure from high-carbon and water-intensive sectors such as industrial and conventional energy. The responsibility of both governments and businesses to protect water resources and implement long-term water management strategies is also important.

Although the actions described give reason for moderate optimism, it seems crucial to unite in the name of the common good. However, this will not be possible without a real reduction in the influence of the richest people and the largest corporations and corporations, which today bear the least responsibility for the exploitation of raw materials, despite the fact that they are the ones that contribute the most to their consumption and pollution of the environment. Too often, the responsibility for the effects of this activity lies with consumers and those with limited influence, resources and opportunities. Our individual strength against huge lobbying interests, such as the fossil fuel sector, may be small, but as a collective we have real influence on political and economic decisions. Change sometimes begins with seemingly minor decisions, such as the choice of a state's energy policy. In Poland, one of the promising alternatives supporting sustainable resource management is decarbonisation and the development of renewable energy sources, for example through the construction of wind farms in the Baltic Sea. Sources: 1.https://library.wmo.int/records/item/69033-state-of-global-water-resources-report-2023

2. https://globalgoals.org/goals/6-clean-water-and-sanitation/ 3. https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2022/Goal-06/