Accelerated action needed to ensure safe drinking water

Dec. 14, 2022
Safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene for all.

Findings from the World Health Organization and UN-Water’s Global Analysis and Assessment of Sanitation and Drinking-Water (GLAAS) report show that acceleration is needed in many countries to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 – water and sanitation for all by 2030. 

While 45% of countries are on track to achieve their nationally defined drinking water coverage targets, only 25% of countries are on track to achieve their national sanitation targets. Less than a third of countries reported to have sufficient human resources required to carry out key drinking-water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) functions. 

While there has been an increase in WASH budgets in some countries, a large number--over 75% of countries reported insufficient funding to implement their WASH plans and strategies. 

The GLAAS data show, however, that most WASH policies and plans do not address risks of climate change to WASH services, nor the climate resilience of WASH technologies and management systems. Just over two thirds of countries have measures in WASH policies to reach populations disproportionately affected by climate change. However, only about one third monitor progress or allocate explicit funding to these populations. 

WHO release