Water and sanitation

Water and sanitation are pivotal elements of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), primarily encapsulated in SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation). This goal seeks to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all by 2030. This objective directly addresses the current global water crisis, where nearly 2.2 billion people live without access to safe water, and about 4.2 billion lack access to adequate sanitation.

By focusing on improving water quality, increasing water-use efficiency, implementing integrated water resources management at all levels, and protecting and restoring water-related ecosystems, SDG 6 addresses not only direct human needs but also the broader ecological health of the planet. Furthermore, efforts towards achieving SDG 6 indirectly promote several other SDGs.

For instance, water and sanitation are crucial to achieving SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), as clean water and proper sanitation facilities reduce the spread of water-borne diseases and significantly lower child and maternal mortality rates. Likewise, they are foundational to SDG 4 (Quality Education), given that the provision of water and sanitation facilities in schools significantly impacts the attendance and performance of students, particularly for girls.

SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) also intersects with water and sanitation, as sustainable and efficient water management is critical for agriculture, which remains the largest global water consumer. The necessity of water for food production and the potential impact of improved water management on crop yields and livestock health makes SDG 6 integral to achieving zero hunger.

SDG 6 contributes to SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) as well. Access to clean water and sanitation can enhance economic productivity by reducing time spent gathering water, reducing healthcare costs due to water-related diseases, and even creating jobs in water and sanitation services sectors.

In terms of environmental impact, the sustainable management of water resources is essential for SDG 13 (Climate Action), as water is a key factor in managing climate change due to its role in agriculture and energy production.

Figure showing a conceptual diagram of socio-hydrological approach to bridge the gap between water resources and human well-being.
This paper presents challenges for water security in the three largest riverine islands in Asia, a socio-hydrology approach to manage water scarcity and human well-being, and an adaptive management cycle to implement socio-hydrology in the field.
Figure showing a schematic of experiment procedures for synthesis of bismuth composites. DI water, deionized water.
Iodide and bromide ions in surface and ground waters can react with natural organic matters and produce toxic disinfectant by-products. A novel bismuth composite material has been developed for the removal of iodides and bromides at parts per million concentrations.
Elsevier,

Progress in Disaster Science, Volume 8, December 2020

Figure showing the Global Occurrence (a) and number of affected people (b) due to floods and droughts, based on EM-DAT data (1993–2018).
This paper examines the global trends and main health impacts of these events based on databases and case studies, identifies gaps in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) indicator framework for monitoring health impacts of disasters and suggests recommendations to address these gaps.
This book chapter advances SDG 3 by explaining how water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) essentially address healthy living through intelligent management of human behaviour and the production of wastes so that the environment and ecosystems are not negatively impated. This chapter describes WASH in low resource countries and the role of the engineer in enabling the approach.
This chapter advances SDG 6 by explaining the use of cluster analysis, multivariate statistical methods, principal component analysis, and factor analysis for the interpretation and analysis of difficult water quality data
Components of urban water cycle and probable pathway of the novel coronavirus in water environment.
Increased concern has recently emerged pertaining to the occurrence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in aquatic environment during the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. While infectious SARS-CoV-2 has yet to be identified in the aquatic environment, the virus potentially enters the wastewater stream from patient excretions and a precautionary approach dictates evaluating transmission pathways to ensure public health and safety.
Deterioration of water quality due to economic development, climate change and other factors has become a challenge to human beings and the ecosystem. Most countries have recognized this problem and have resorted to actions for improving water quality. However, the effect on water quality improvements due to these actions is uncertain due to the plausibility of multiple scenarios like climate change scenarios and socio- economic scenarios.
Cities are wrestling with the practical challenges of transitioning urban water services to become water sensitive; capable of enhancing liveability, sustainability, resilience and productivity in the face of climate change, rapid urbanisation, degraded ecosystems and ageing infrastructure. Indicators can be valuable for guiding actions for improvement, but there is not yet an established index that measures the full suite of attributes that constitute water sensitive performance.
Elsevier,

Global Groundwater. Source, Scarcity, Sustainability, Security, and Solutions, 2021, Pages 503-517

This chapter advances SDG 6 by presenting opportunities for groundwater and how information can be shared across disciplines- e.g. Many commercial operations (e.g., oil and gas, geothermal, mining) create a wealth of geological and hydrogeological information in their everyday exploration activities that can be used by groundwater professionals.
Elsevier,

Global Groundwater. Source, Scarcity, Sustainability, Security, and Solutions, 2021, Pages 577-583

This chapter advances SDG 6 by presenting an overview and consideration for groundwater desalination, including a framework tool.

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