SDG Knowledge Hub/Lynn Wagner: Making #EveryDropCount: SDG 6 on the 2018 Agenda

SDG Knowledge Hub
A project by IISD
Lynn Wagner, Ph.D.
Group Director, SDG Knowledge, IISD
22 March 2018
share this
Making #EveryDropCount: SDG 6 on the 2018 Agenda
UN Photo/Victoria Hazou
story highlights

The celebration of World Water Day on 22 March is taking place in parallel with the launch of the International Decade for Action: Water for Sustainable Development (2018-2028) and the eighth World Water Forum.

The launch of the recommendations of the High Level Panel on Water took place last week, and this week’s launch of the annual World Water Development Report brought an in-depth review of “opportunities to harness the natural processes that regulate various elements of the water cycle".

These events are a precursor to the SDG 6 debate during 2018, with water and sanitation on the agenda at the July meeting of the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF).

The report released last week by the High Level Panel on Water (HLPW) indicates that the world may face a 40% shortfall in water availability by 2030. To put it another way, the current water crisis in Cape Town, South Africa, could become reality for other cities and communities around the world.

This week, the international community is focusing on efforts to address these challenges, especially through implementation of the Sustainable Development Goal on clean water and sanitation (SDG 6), which calls for ensuring “availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.” The celebration of World Water Day on 22 March is taking place in parallel with the launch of the ‘International Decade for Action: Water for Sustainable Development 2018-2028’ and the eighth World Water Forum. These are in addition to last week’s launch of the recommendations of the High Level Panel on Water. Through the HLPW, 11 Heads of State and Government and one Special Adviser asked their peers to join with them in committing to valuing water and taking action to address our water challenges. And this week’s launch of the annual World Water Development Report brought an in-depth review of “opportunities to harness the natural processes that regulate various elements of the water cycle.”

These events and launches are a precursor for the SDG 6 debate to be held later in 2018, especially during the July meeting of the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF). This brief provides a chronological overview of these inputs, which seek to drive action on SDG 6, along with new research on the linkages among SDG 6 and the other SDGs.

High Level Panel on Water: On 14 March 2018, the HLPW presented its outcome package to the UN Secretary-General, and thus concluded its mandate with a call for a fundamental shift in the way the world manages water. The UN Secretary-General and the World Bank President convened the HLPW in April 2016 to champion a comprehensive and collaborative way of developing and managing water resources, as well as improving water and sanitation-related services. Consisting of 11 Heads of State and Government and one Special Adviser, the Panel’s outcome package included an open letter to other Heads of State and Government as well as global leaders, calling on them to focus on accelerating progress on water and sanitation challenges.

World Water Development Report 2018: On 19 March 2018, the UN launched the 2018 edition of its annual World Water Development Report (WWDR). Titled, ‘Nature-based Solutions for Water,’ WWDR 2018 examines the “opportunities to harness the natural processes that regulate various elements of the water cycle.” It draws attention to the ways that adopting nature-based solutions, or approaches that mimic or preserve ecosystem processes and functions, can contribute to the achievement of the SDGs. The report cites many examples of successful uptake of nature-based solutions, and recommends measures for leveraging financing, including through full assessments of the co-benefits of nature-based solutions to biodiversity, the environment, and human health.

World Water Day 2018: 22 March is celebrated annually as World Water Day. The Day is coordinated by UN-Water, which is the UN’s inter-agency collaboration mechanism for all freshwater related issues, in collaboration with governments and partners.

For 2018, the theme for World Water Day is ‘Nature for Water.’ This theme was the inspiration for the WWDR 2018, and will be incorporated into events held during World Water Week 2018 in August. It will also inspire celebrations and actions for World Toilet Day 2018, in November.

To mark World Water Day, UN-Water and the International Institute for Sustainable Development are announcing a new agreement through which they will collaborate to provide information on the implementation of SDG 6. The stream of information flowing into the SDG Knowledge Hub on water and sanitation projects and solutions will be enhanced through this joint venture. Information will incorporate linkages with the other SDGs, to ensure that water and sanitation challenges are seen within a wider context, and taken up in relationship with other Goals, and vice-versa.

Launch of the Decade on Water for Sustainable Development: Also on 22 March, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) will launch the ‘International Decade for Action: Water for Sustainable Development (2018-2028).’ This launch is one of three events related to the implementation of the SDGs that the UNGA President is organizing in 2018.

During the Decade on Water for Sustainable Development, the international community will seek to advance sustainable development, energize existing programmes and projects, and inspire action to achieve the 2030 Agenda.

8th World Water Forum: The 8th World Water Forum is taking place from 18-23 March, in Brasilia, Brazil. This Forum, which is convening in the Southern Hemisphere for the first time, happens every three years. The 2018 event is focused on the theme, ‘Sharing Water’.

SDG Knowledge Hub reporting covered regional events that took place in preparation for WWF8, along with resources and reports launched during the meeting, including the Organisation for Economic Development and Co-operation’s (OECD) launch of a report to support the implementation of the OECD Principles on Water Governance.

High-Level Conference on International Decade of Water for Sustainable Development: This meeting, jointly organized by the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan and the UN, will take place from 20-22 June, in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. It will facilitate the implementation of the International Decade for Action: Water for Sustainable Development (2018-2028).

High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF): In July, SDG 6 will be one of the sub-set of Goals to be examined in depth during the 2018 session of the HLPF. Convening from 9-18 July, at UN Headquarters in New York, US, this Forum is charged with follow-up for the 2030 Agenda.

The theme of HLPF 2018 is, ‘Transformation towards sustainable and resilient societies.’ In addition to SDG 6, HLPF 2018 will also conduct in-depth reviews of SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy), SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities), SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production), and SDG 15 (life on land). Goal 17 (strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development) is considered at each HLPF session. In addition, 47 countries are expected to present their Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs).

Prior to HLPF, UN-Water will publish the ‘SDG 6 Synthesis Report 2018 on Water and Sanitation,’ report prepared by the custodian agencies for the SDG 6 indicators. It will include baseline data and updates on data availability for each of the SDG 6 indicators. The preparation of this report was discussed at the 27th and 28th meetings of UN-Water. It is also being discussed at the regional meetings preparing for HLPF 2018. These include:

    2018 Regional Forum on Sustainable Development for the UNECE Region;
    Fifth Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD);
    Forum of the Countries of Latin America and the Caribbean on Sustainable Development;
    ESCWA Regional Forum on Sustainable Development 2018; and
    UNECA Regional Forum for Sustainable Development 2018.

World Water Week: The 28th World Water Week will focus on the theme, ‘Water, Ecosystems and Human Development’. This annual event is organized by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) and partners, and brings the water and sanitation policy and research community to Stockholm, Sweden, to share ideas and discuss new directions.

The 29th UN-Water meeting will gather UN-Water Members and Partners to discuss issues related to UN-Water immediately prior to the 28th World Water Week.

World Toilet Day 2018: World Toilet Day is celebrated worldwide on 19 November. It encourages behavioral change and the implementation of policies to increase access to sanitation among the poor, including a call to end open defecation. The 2018 theme is: ‘When nature calls.’

Katowice Climate Change Conference: The 2018 sustainable development calendar concludes with the 24th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 24) to the UNFCCC, which will convene from 3-14 December, in Katowice, Poland. Water Action Day, which was first organized at the Marrakech Climate Change Conference, will highlight the linkages between water and climate issues, particularly in the implementation of the Paris Agreement. At COP 23, water agencies launched an ‘International Declaration on Nature-Based Solutions for Water Management Under Climate Change,’ which was signed by many water alliances supporting the integration of nature-based solutions into the Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action.

related events

    High Level Panel on Water Report Launch
    Launch of the World Water Development Report 2018
    World Water Day 2018
    Launch of International Decade for Action: Water for Sustainable Development (2018-2028)
    High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) 2018
    8th World Water Forum

SDGs
6. Clean Water & Sanitation
Issues
Water & Sanitation, Governance, Integrated Water Resources Management, Irrigation, Sanitation, Transboundary Water, Water Quality, Water Storage, Sustainable Use, Sustainable Development, Stakeholder Participation, Climate Change, Monitoring & Evaluation
Global Partnerships
Means of Implementation, Capacity Building & Education, Systemic Issues, Multi-stakeholder Partnerships, Data, Monitoring & Accountability
Actors
UNFCCC, UNECA, UNECE, UNECLAC, UNESCAP, UNESCWA, UNDP, UNEP, UNESCO, UNICEF, OECD, World Bank, Partnership, Stakeholders and Major Groups, International Financial Institution, Intergovernmental Organization, Multilateral Environmental Agreement Body, UN Programme, Agency or Fund, UN-Water, UN Regional Economic & Social Commission, UN Secretariat, UN-DESA, UN Women
Actions
Meeting, Publication, Announcement / Statement
Regions
Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, Near East, Northern America, Caribbean, South America, Southern Africa, Central Asia
share this
related posts
2 SDGs
Does Nature Have the Solutions to Our Water Problems?
22 March 2018 | Kurt Brüggemann, UNU-FLORES and Tamara Avellán, UNU-FLO ...
2 SDGs
Does Nature Have the Solutions to Our Water Problems?
22 March 2018 | Kurt Brüggemann, UNU-FLORES and Tamara Avellán, UNU-FLO ...
Clean Water & Sanitation
Ministers, GWP Call for Urgent Action on SDG 6
22 March 2018 | Delia Paul, SDG Knowledge Hub
Clean Water & Sanitation
Ministers, GWP Call for Urgent Action on SDG 6
22 March 2018 | Delia Paul, SDG Knowledge Hub
4 SDGs
FAO Reports Address Impact of Water Stress, Disasters on Agriculture and Migration
22 March 2018 | Lauren Anderson, SDG Knowledge Hub
Clean Water & Sanitation
World Water Council Launches Reports on Infrastructure, Finance, Local Action, Groundwater
22 March 2018 | Lauren Anderson, SDG Knowledge Hub
Newsletter

The SDG Update compiles the news, commentary and upcoming events that are published on the SDG Knowledge Hub each day, delivering information on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to your inbox.
Sign up

    NEWS
    GUEST ARTICLES
    POLICY BRIEFS
    GENERATION 2030
    SEARCH

    EVENTS
    ACTORS
    REGIONS
    SDGs

    ABOUT
    CONTACT
    HELP & FAQ
    follow us:

A project by:
Designed by:
Funding
provided by:

© 1990-2018, IISD. Excerpts may only be used with appropriate academic citation and a link back to the corresponding article/page used.

    NEWS
    GUEST ARTICLES
    POLICY BRIEFS
    GENERATION 2030
    EVENTS
    ACTORS
    REGIONS
    SDGs
    SEARCH