SDG #6 is to “Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all”
Within SDG #6 are 8 targets, of which we here focus on Target 6.1:
By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all
Target 6.1 has one indicator:
Indicator 6.1.1: Proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services
SDG #6 introduces us to UN Water, coordinating the efforts of all the other UN agencies on the topic of water and sanitation. WHO’s guidelines inform the definition for drinking water quality. Access to safe water is essential to health and disease prevention and lowering the barriers to access is a human right.
The worldwide access to safe drinking water as of 2022 was 72%. Central African Republic had the lowest access among countries with data, with only 6%. Much of this gap is due to where one lives, whereby worldwide, 81% of the urban population have access, but only 62% for those living in rural locations.
