When leaders gathered in New York on 22-24 March for the first major UN Water Conference in almost 50 years, the world was asked not to miss the opportunity to secure greater cooperation on shared waters – which account for some 60% of global freshwater flow – as a prerequisite to address the global water crisis. “The climate crisis is also a water crisis”, had declared UN Secretary-General António Guterres ahead of the conference. On the frontline of climate crisis, the world’s most vulnerable nations suffer disproportionately.
In the UNECE region, while access to safely managed drinking water services is ensured for 96% of the population, with 20 countries having already achieved universal access, the situation concerning access to sanitation services remains a challenge, with 27 million people unable to access even basic sanitation services. Women are disproportionally affected by inadequate sanitation with specific hygiene needs. At the UN 2023 Water Conference, it was decided that water should be integrated into the agendas of the upcoming political summits and beyond the water sector, in major appointments such as the COPs on climate and on biodiversity.
Efforts to protect and restore essential water-related ecosystems are disparate across the continent with considerable degradation of lakes, rivers and wetlands occurring in many countries, including the fragmentation of river systems, and increasing pollution to water bodies. The availability of freshwater resources is also rapidly changing due to the dual challenges of development and climate change. Diffuse pollution and wastewater discharges remain significant, raising concerns for public health. In 2022, floods and droughts clearly illustrated the severity of climate change’s effects on our water systems. Progress is needed on implementing integrated water resources management as well as transboundary water cooperation, especially on aquifers and in some basins in South-East Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia.
The Peer Learning Round Table on SDG 6: Clean water and sanitation brought together in Geneva on 30 March a variety of stakeholders to share the outcomes of the global UN 2023 Water Conference. Organised by the UNECE Water Convention and UNESCO through its Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe, with contributions from WHO, UNEP, WMO, IOM and UNOPS, the peer learning session discussed the next steps at the regional level, including how to take forward commitments from the region made at the global conference and good practice examples aimed at accelerating efforts to meet SDG 6-related targets.
The round table focused on understanding what priority policy actions are needed to accelerate the achievement of sustainable water management targets by 2030, and what effective, game-changing, and scalable solutions can support availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation in the UNECE region.
The round table, moderated by Ana Luiza Thompson-Flores, Director, and Marco Keiner, Director of the Environment Division, UNECE, stressed the importance of ensuring access to clean water and sanitation for all. Leading the overview of the status of SDG 6 implementation was William Reidhead, Global Monitoring Officer, UN-Water, while the outcomes of the UN 2023 Water Conference were discussed by Henk Ovink, Special Envoy for International Water Affairs, Kingdom of the Netherlands, and Sulton Rahimzoda, Special Envoy of the President to the Water and Climate Coalition Leaders, Republic of Tajikistan.
The conference divided into 4 sections, each presenting several case studies from different countries:
- Water for Health: make drinking water and sanitation available, safe, and affordable for all
- Water for Environment: tackle water pollution, conserve ecosystems and biodiversity and apply circular economy policies
- Water for Cooperation: reinforce collaboration among countries and sectors for peace and sustainable development
- Water for Climate: strengthen water resilience to climate change and disasters
The round table affirmed that currently the region is off track to achieving SDG 6, hindering the achievement of many other SDGs. Yet, there was cause for optimism as the conference showcased good practices and tools from across the region which can be used to accelerate this process. There were calls for improved governance, deployment of technology and intensified cooperation amongst stakeholders, public and private sectors, and countries to improve water use efficiency, and foster circularity and the reuse of water. Ana Luiza Thompson-Flores, Director, summarised the challenges facing the region.
Access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene is one of our most basic human needs. In order to achieve universal access to drinking water, sanitation and hygiene by 2030, it is crucial for the region to take forward commitments made at the global water conference and scale up good practice examples aimed at accelerating efforts to meet SDG 6 related targets.
Transboundary water cooperation is now advanced in many basins in the Pan-European region with all transboundary waters covered by operational cooperation agreements, thanks in part to the Water Convention. This achievement is well recognised in the SDG indicator 6.5.2 (with the value of 100%) for which UNECE and UNESCO are co-custodians. Transboundary water cooperation has brought concrete benefits beyond water, including for climate action and resilience, energy and food security, and biodiversity.
While access to drinking water is high, although not yet universal, access to sanitation remains a challenge. The round table was advised that future policies and investment should focus on flattening inequalities between urban and rural areas, as well as the affordability of challenges to provide access to vulnerable and marginalised groups, thus ensuring dignity and justice for all.
The Peer Learning Round Table Sessions on SDG 6 led to a fruitful discussion on the water-related challenges facing our environment, our climate and our health, and how cooperation can provide the solutions to these pressing issues, such as strengthening water resilience to climate change and disasters. Meeting virtually and in person has enabled knowledge to be shared amongst nations and start the process of finding innovative solutions to advance sustainable water management in the UNECE region.
It is crucial to reinforce inclusive, multi stakeholder and integrated water governance for the successful and coherent implementation of SDG 6 and of the 2030 Agenda as a whole. This calls for the inclusive and participatory mechanisms of decision-making at all levels, notably mainstreaming gender consideration and hearing the voices of young people. UNESCO together with other international organisations and partners are joining forces in this process.
Links
Photo Album: RFSD 2023, Peer Learning Roundtable on SDG 6, "Clean Water and Sanitation", Palais des Nations, Geneva, 30 March 2023
Regional Forum Event Page: Session 4 – SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
Peer Learning Round Table SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation Itinerary
UN Web TV – Peer Learning Round Table 4
UNECE Regional Forum on Sustainable Development 2023 Event page
