The future of water and sanitation: global challenges and the need for greater ambition

Abstract

Water and sanitation services are critical for public health. The importance of these services is reflected in SDG 6 and the associated targets 6.1, 6.2 and 6.3. Much progress remains to be made to achieve these targets, but it is already becoming clear that greater ambition is needed. This paper looks at three global challenges: the need to increase the level of service to protect public health including infectious respiratory diseases; the role of sanitation in combatting anti-microbial resistance (AMR); and the urgent need to build more climate-resilient services. We need to upgrade the SDG targets to focus on universal access to piped water on premises, to incorporate action on AMR in definitions of safe sanitation and to embed actions to improve resilience, which take into account the greater ambition called for in the SDG 6 targets. This requires a shift in thinking in the sector, away from relying on households and communities to manage their services to properly funded, professional services staffed by trained technical, managerial and finance staff. This will require more public finance and better use of financial instruments that have proved effective in other sectors. Increasing our ambition will mean the world can achieve the aim of universal access to safe, sustainable, and resilient services and protect public health. HIGHLIGHTS Protecting public health requires higher levels of water and sanitation service.; Tackling anti-microbial resistance should become a key element of safe sanitation.; Climate change poses challenges for water and sanitation, investing in resilience is critical.; Greater professionalisation is needed to provide safe, sustainable and resilient services.; More and better use of public finance is needed for services.;

Keywords

• anti-microbial resistance
• climate resilience
• human resources
• sanitation
• sdg 6
• water supply