Safeguarding clean water access as climate threats rise – Global Issues.org

Report on Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) and its Impact on Sustainable Development Goals in Europe

Current Status of WASH Services and Alignment with SDG 6

A recent assessment of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services across Europe reveals significant gaps in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation). The data indicates a pressing need for action to ensure universal access, particularly within healthcare settings, which directly impacts SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being).

• Approximately 118 million people in the pan-European region reside near healthcare facilities that lack basic sanitation services.
• An estimated 70 million people lack access to safely managed drinking water.
• A further 185 million people do not have access to safe sanitation facilities.

These deficiencies are exacerbated by the increasing frequency of climate-related events such as droughts and floods, posing a direct threat to the resilience of WASH infrastructure and hindering progress towards SDG 13 (Climate Action).

The Protocol on Water and Health: A Framework for SDG Achievement

In response to these challenges, over 40 nations have adopted a programme to build more resilient and equitable WASH systems. This commitment was made during the 7th session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol on Water and Health, co-led by the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the World Health Organization (WHO). The Protocol serves as a critical legal instrument for achieving multiple SDGs.

1. It is the sole legally binding international treaty that explicitly links environmental protection, water governance, and public health, reinforcing SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).
2. It provides a practical framework for countries to translate commitments, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, into tangible improvements in water and sanitation infrastructure.
3. The Protocol has facilitated over 1,500 facility assessments and informed policies related to schools and hospitals, contributing to SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 3.

Strategic Interventions and Commitments

The Protocol on Water and Health furnishes nations with evidence-based resources to accelerate progress. Dr. Hans Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, emphasized that bolstering healthcare facilities against crises is a fundamental investment. The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, noted that “Progress on water and sanitation supports progress across multiple Sustainable Development Goals.”

Concrete measures being implemented under the Protocol include:

• Ensuring safe water, sanitation, and menstrual hygiene in schools.
• Monitoring wastewater for pathogens, including viruses such as COVID-19, to enhance public health surveillance.
• Addressing the spread of Legionella bacteria in domestic water systems.
• Developing strategic plans for carbon-neutral water and sanitation services, aligning with climate objectives.

These actions demonstrate a coordinated multilateral effort to place resilient WASH systems at the core of national strategies for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

Analysis of the Article in Relation to Sustainable Development Goals

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

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: The article directly links the lack of clean water and sanitation in healthcare facilities to potential harm for patients. It discusses disease surveillance for water-borne pathogens like Legionella and viruses like COVID-19, emphasizing that bolstering these systems is crucial for public health.
• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation: This is the central theme of the article. It focuses on the “Protocol on Water and Health,” access to safe drinking water, and basic sanitation. It quantifies the problem by stating that millions in Europe lack these essential services and highlights international efforts to build resilient water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) systems.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: The article mentions that the Protocol has helped inform policies in “urban planning.” Resilient water and sanitation infrastructure is a cornerstone of sustainable and safe urban environments, especially in the face of climate change and other threats.
• SDG 13: Climate Action: The article explicitly connects health emergencies to the “climate crisis” and notes that “droughts, floods and cyber threats increasingly disrupt services.” It calls for placing water and sanitation systems “at the core of climate resilience.”
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals: The entire article is about a multilateral effort. It describes a UN-led meeting where “more than 40 countries” adopted a program, co-led by the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the World Health Organization (WHO), based on a legally binding international treaty. This exemplifies global partnership for sustainable development.

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

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

   • Target 3.3: End the epidemics of… water-borne diseases and other communicable diseases. The article’s mention of monitoring “wastewater for dangerous viruses including COVID-19” and tackling “the spread of Legionella bacteria in domestic water systems” directly relates to combating communicable and water-borne diseases.
   • Target 3.d: Strengthen the capacity of all countries… for early warning, risk reduction and management of national and global health risks. The focus on “disease surveillance” and building resilient systems to withstand crises aligns with strengthening national capacity to manage health risks.

2. SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

   • Target 6.1: Achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all. The article highlights this goal by stating the Protocol has helped in “expanding safe drinking water” and pointing out that “70 million lack access to safely managed drinking water” in Europe.
   • Target 6.2: Achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all. This target is addressed by the statistic that “118 million people in Europe alone live near healthcare facilities lacking basic sanitation” and the mention of efforts to ensure “menstrual hygiene in schools.”
   • Target 6.a: Expand international cooperation and capacity-building support. The article is a clear example of this target in action, describing a UN-led meeting where “more than 40 countries” adopted a programme under the “Protocol on Water and Health,” which is co-led by UNECE and WHO.

3. SDG 13: Climate Action

   • Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters. The article directly supports this by urging governments “to put water and sanitation systems at the core of climate resilience” in response to disruptions from “droughts, floods and cyber threats.”

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

1. Number of people lacking access to basic services: The article provides specific figures that serve as baseline indicators for SDG 6.
   • “118 million people in Europe alone live near healthcare facilities lacking basic sanitation” (Measures progress towards Target 6.2).
   • “70 million lack access to safely managed drinking water” (Measures progress towards Target 6.1).
   • “185 million do not have safe sanitation” (Measures progress towards Target 6.2).
2. Disease surveillance data: The mention of monitoring “wastewater for dangerous viruses including COVID-19” and tackling “the spread of Legionella bacteria” implies the use of epidemiological data and surveillance reports as indicators to measure the prevalence of water-borne diseases (Measures progress towards Target 3.3).
3. Number of facility assessments: The article states that the international agreement “has supported at least 1,500 facility assessments.” This number is a direct indicator of the implementation and reach of the program designed to improve WASH in facilities (Measures progress towards Targets 6.1 and 6.2).
4. Development of climate-resilient plans: The mention of developing “plans for carbon-neutral water services” and putting water systems “at the core of climate resilience” implies that the number and quality of such national plans can be used as an indicator of progress (Measures progress towards Target 13.1).

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: globalissues.org