Reaching those left behind: knowledge gaps, challenges, and approaches to achieving SDG 6 in high-income countries

Abstract

Even as progress has been made in extending access to safe water and sanitation under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), substantial disparities in water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services persist in high-income countries around the world. These gaps in service occur disproportionately among historically marginalized, rural, informal, and Indigenous communities. This paper synthesizes results from a side session convened at the 2020 University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Water and Health conference focused on knowledge gaps, challenges, and approaches to achieve SDG 6 among marginalized communities in high-income countries. We provide approaches and next steps to advance sustainable WASH services in communities that have often been overlooked. HIGHLIGHTS HICs face similar challenges to LMICs in access to WASH, including reaching rural communities, building capacity, maintaining infrastructure, and improving water quality.; Historically marginalized communities are heavily impacted and massive socio-political change is needed to eliminate inequities.; HICs must improve access to services by filling data gaps, changing policies, and removing unjust social structures.;

Keywords

• high-income countries
• hygiene
• sanitation
• water