“Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
“Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.”[26] Main article: Sustainable Development Goal 6
The Sustainable Development Goal Number 6 (SDG6) has eight targets and 11 indicators that will be used to monitor progress toward the targets. Most are to be achieved by the year 2030. One is targeted for 2020.[27]
The first three targets relate to drinking water supply and sanitation.[27] Safe drinking water and hygienic toilets protect people from disease and enable societies to be more productive economically. Attending school and work without disruption is critical to successful education and successful employment. Therefore, toilets in schools and work places are specifically mentioned as a target to measure. “Equitable sanitation” is called for and calls for addressing the specific needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations, such as the elderly or people with disabilities. Water sources are better preserved if open defecation is ended and sustainable sanitation systems are implemented.
Ending open defecation will require provision of toilets and sanitation for 2.6 billion people as well as behavior change of the users.[28] This will require cooperation between governments, civil society and the private sector.[29]
The main indicator for the sanitation target is the “Proportion of population using safely managed sanitation services, including a hand-washing facility with soap and water”.[30] The current statistic in the 2017 baseline estimate by the Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) is that 4.5 billion people currently do not have safely managed sanitation.[28]
