New Reports Show Progress in Community Actions to Make Groundwater Sustainability a Reality in California – California Department of Water Resources (.gov)

Report on California’s Water Management Initiatives and Challenges in Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

1.0 Climate-Resilient Infrastructure: The Antioch Desalination Facility

The City of Antioch has achieved a significant milestone in climate resilience with the establishment of a new brackish water desalination facility. This project represents a strategic investment in securing a sustainable water supply, directly contributing to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

• SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation): The facility enhances access to safe and affordable drinking water by diversifying water sources, thereby addressing water scarcity and improving water security for the community.
• SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities): By developing climate-resilient infrastructure, Antioch is strengthening its capacity to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change, such as drought, making the community more sustainable and resilient.
• SDG 13 (Climate Action): This initiative is a direct action to strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters, specifically those related to water availability.

2.0 Collaborative Governance for Drought Resilience

The California Department of Water Resources (DWR), as the Lead Agency for the Drought Resilience Interagency & Partners (DRIP) Collaborative, will convene workgroup meetings in June 2025. This initiative underscores the importance of multi-stakeholder partnerships in addressing complex water challenges.

• SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals): The DRIP Collaborative embodies the principles of this goal by fostering cooperation among various agencies and partners to develop effective and integrated drought resilience strategies.
• SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation): These meetings aim to advance integrated water resources management at all levels, a key target for ensuring the sustainable management of water resources across the state.

3.0 Addressing Land Subsidence for Sustainable Water Use

Land subsidence, primarily caused by excessive groundwater pumping, poses a significant threat to California’s infrastructure and communities. This issue highlights critical challenges in achieving sustainable water management and requires urgent attention to meet related SDG targets.

1. Impact on SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation): Over-extraction of groundwater leading to subsidence is a clear indicator of unsustainable water management practices, directly conflicting with the goal of ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water.
2. Impact on SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities): The sinking of land damages critical water infrastructure, threatening the safety and sustainability of communities that depend on it.
3. Impact on SDG 15 (Life on Land): Subsidence can alter landscapes and damage ecosystems, undermining efforts to protect and restore terrestrial ecosystems.

Analysis of SDGs in the Provided Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article highlights issues and initiatives related to water management, climate resilience, and infrastructure, which directly connect to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The following SDGs are addressed:

• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation – This is the most prominent SDG, as the entire article focuses on water-related issues such as creating a new water source through desalination, managing drought resilience, and the impacts of groundwater pumping (subsidence).
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities – The article discusses infrastructure projects like the desalination facility and the impact of subsidence on “water infrastructure and the communities who rely on it,” which are central to making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.
• SDG 13: Climate Action – The new desalination facility is explicitly described as a “climate-resilient milestone.” Additionally, the focus on “Drought Resilience” directly relates to adapting to the impacts of climate change.
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals – The mention of the “Drought Resilience Interagency & Partners (DRIP) Collaborative” and its workgroup meetings points directly to the importance of multi-stakeholder partnerships to address complex challenges like drought.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the initiatives and problems described, several specific SDG targets can be identified:

1. Under SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation):
   • Target 6.4: By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity. The development of a desalination facility is a direct response to water scarcity and aims to ensure a sustainable supply of freshwater.
   • Target 6.5: By 2030, implement integrated water resources management at all levels. The “Drought Resilience Interagency & Partners (DRIP) Collaborative” is an example of an integrated approach to managing water resources at a regional level.
2. Under SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities):
   • Target 11.5: By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses…caused by disasters, including water-related disasters. Addressing subsidence, which impacts infrastructure, and building drought resilience are measures to mitigate the effects of water-related disasters.
   • Target 11.b: …increase the number of cities and human settlements adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards…mitigation and adaptation to climate change, disaster risk reduction. The City of Antioch’s “climate-resilient” desalination facility is a tangible example of implementing a plan for climate change adaptation.
3. Under SDG 13 (Climate Action):
   • Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries. The desalination plant and the DRIP Collaborative’s focus on drought resilience are direct actions to strengthen adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards like drought.
4. Under SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals):
   • Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships. The DRIP Collaborative, which brings together various agencies and partners, exemplifies this target.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article does not provide specific quantitative data, but it implies several indicators that could be used to measure progress:

• For Target 6.4: The operational capacity of the new brackish water desalination facility (e.g., volume of freshwater produced per day) would be a direct indicator of an increased supply of freshwater.
• For Target 6.5: The existence and regular meetings of the “DRIP Collaborative” serve as a qualitative indicator for the implementation of integrated water resources management (Indicator 6.5.1: Degree of integrated water resources management implementation).
• For Target 11.5 / 13.1: The construction of new climate-resilient infrastructure, such as the desalination plant, is an indicator of a local government’s strategy for disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation. The rate of land subsidence (e.g., in cm per year) could be an indicator used to track the growing risk to infrastructure.
• For Target 17.17: The formation of the “Drought Resilience Interagency & Partners (DRIP) Collaborative” is itself an indicator of a multi-stakeholder partnership being established to address a sustainable development challenge. The number of participating agencies could be a more specific metric.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: water.ca.gov