Billions of people worldwide will potentially not have access to water, sanitation and hygiene by 2030. This is according to the latest United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Report.
The United Nations highlights misuse, poor management, over-extraction of groundwater, contamination of fresh water, degraded ecosystems, climate change and insufficient cooperation on transboundary waters as reasons for the global exacerbation of water stress. In Ghana, illegal mining seriously threatens its various water bodies.
Facts from the report show that:
- In 2020, 74 per cent of the global population had access to safely managed drinking water services, up from 70 per cent in 2015. Still, two billion people live without safely managed drinking water services, including 1.2 billion people lacking even a basic level of service, in 2020.
- Between 2015 and 2020, the population with safely managed sanitation increased from 47 per cent to 54 per cent, and the people with access to hand-washing facilities with soap and water in the home increased from 67 per cent to 71 per cent. Rates of progress for these essential services would need to quadruple for universal coverage to be reached by 2030.
- Eight out of 10 people who lack essential drinking water services live in rural areas, and about half live in least developed countries (LDCs).
- Water use efficiency worldwide rose from $17.4 per cubic metre in 2015 to $19.4 per cubic metre in 2019, a 12 per cent efficiency increase.
- Assessment of rivers, lakes and aquifers in 97 countries in 2020 shows that 60 per cent of water bodies have good water quality. For at least 3 billion people, the water quality they rely upon is still being determined owing to a lack of monitoring.
- From 2015 to 2020, the population practising open defecation decreased by a third, from 739 million to 494 million.
- The world was on track to eliminate open defecation by 2030.
- Over the past 300 years, over 85 per cent of the planet’s wetlands have been lost, mainly through drainage and land conversion, with many remaining wetland areas degraded. Since 1970, 81 per cent of species dependent on inland wetlands have declined faster than those relying on other biomes, and an increasing number of these species are facing extinction.
- Across the world, water stress levels remained safe at 18.6 per cent in 2019. However, Southern Asia and Central Asia registered high levels of water stress at over 75 per cent, whereas Northern Africa registered a critical water stress level of over 100 per cent. Since 2015, water stress levels have increased significantly in Western Asia and Northern Africa.
- Data from 2017 and 2020 suggest that only 32 countries have 90 per cent or more of their transboundary waters covered by cross-border cooperative arrangements.
Besides this, the report notes that water demand continues to rise due to “rapid population growth, urbanisation and increasing pressure from agriculture, industry and the energy sector.”
Access to clean water and sanitation is the focus of Goal 6 of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. This goal’s targets seek to achieve the following by 2030:
- achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all
- achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all, and end open defecation, paying particular attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations
- improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimising the release of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater, and substantially increasing recycling and safe reuse globally
- substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity and substantially reduce the number of people suffering from water scarcity
- implement integrated water resources management at all levels, including through transboundary cooperation as appropriate
- protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes
- expand international cooperation and capacity-building support to developing countries in water- and sanitation-related activities and programmes, including water harvesting, desalination, water efficiency, wastewater treatment, recycling and reuse technologies
- support and strengthen the participation of local communities in improving water and sanitation management
Lack of Access
“Universal access to drinking water, sanitation and hygiene is critical to global health”. The report notes that “for at least 3 billion people, the quality of the water they depend on is unknown due to lack of monitoring.” Hand hygiene is essential to controlling infectious diseases. “Yet, over 1 in 4 people still lack access to handwashing facilities with soap and water at home” (UNSDG Report, 2022).
According to the Report, “to reach universal access to drinking water, sanitation and hygiene by 2030, the current rates of progress would need to increase fourfold.” At the current rates of progress, it has been estimated that:
- 6 billion people would still lack access to safely managed drinking water,
- 8 billion people would still not have access to safely managed sanitation, and
- 9 billion people would still need access to basic hand hygiene facilities.
“By increasing the current progress fourfold, it’s estimated that the world could prevent around 829,000 deaths every year because of issues related to poor hygiene practices, inadequate sanitation, and unsafe water.” the UN estimates
Water stress
According to the Report, over 733 million people live in countries with high and critical levels of water stress. “Water stress occurs when the ratio of freshwater withdrawn to total renewable freshwater resources is above the 25 per cent threshold.” (UNSDG Report, 2022).
“High water stress can have devastating consequences for the environment. It can also curtail or even reverse economic and social development, increasing competition and potential conflict among users” (UNSDG Report, 2022).
Stress on water resources in Northern Africa sat at 84.1% – this is high and pressures the continent’s ability to ensure access to water and sanitation by 2030.
Ecosystems degradation
The Report draws attention to the real threat that ecosystem degradation has on UNSDG-6. It notes that “the world’s water-related ecosystems are being degraded at an alarming rate,” with over 85% of the planet’s wetlands being lost over the past 300 years. “Unsustainable use and inappropriate management of wetlands not only result in the loss of ecosystem services but can also pose direct risks, including disease,” they note.
Illegal mining in Ghana has become a pressing issue requiring urgent attention from authorities and citizens. Its harmful effects on water quality, the environment, forests, cocoa farming, and public health are already being felt nationwide. Citizens must remain vigilant and collaborate with the government to penalise those who break the law. Neglecting this “collective” responsibility may lead to irreversible damage to the country’s natural resources and rural communities, which could have devastating consequences for future generations.
To conclude, it is universally acknowledged that safe water, hygiene, and sanitation are critical for maintaining human health and livelihoods. A lack of these basic necessities can lead to disastrous consequences, like poverty, ill health and disease outbreaks. The UN is urging all affiliated nations to prioritise UNSDG-6 as a top public policy agenda and “allocate sufficient resources to tackle it head-on”. We ignore this clarion call at our own peril!
The writer is an international chartered director and Africa’s first-ever appointed Professor Extraordinaire for Industrialisation and Supply Chain Governance. He is the CEO of PanAvest International and the founding non-executive chairman of MY-future YOUR-Future and OUR-Future (“MYO“) and the “thought-provoking“ daily NyansaKasa (words of wisdom) series. Professor Boateng is the non-executive chairperson of the Minerals Income and Investment Fund (MIIF). Previously, he was the non-executive chair of the Public Procurement Authority (PPA). For more information on Nyansakasa, visit www.myoglobal.org and www.panavest.com.
