Facts and figures on SDG 6- Clean water and sanitation
📚Despite progress, 2.2 billion people still lacked safely managed drinking water services, 3.5 billion lacked safely
managed sanitation services, and 2.0 billion lacked basic hygiene services in 2022
📚Approximately 58% of household wastewater was safely treated in 2022. Progress towards the target of halving the
proportion of untreated wastewater by 2030 is limited.
📚Wastewater statistics are lacking in many countries and reporting is low, especially from industrial sources.
📚Water-use efficiency worldwide rose 9%, from $17.4/m3 in 2015 to $18.9/m3 in 2020
📚Globally, water stress remains at a safe level of 18.2% in 2020, but with significant regional variations, including a
worrisome 18% increase in Northern Africa and Western Asia between 2015 and 2020.
📚Although there has been global progress on integrated water resources management between 2017 and 2020, it falls far short of meeting target 6.5 by 2030. Encouragingly, 44 countries have nearly achieved the target and 22 countries
have proved that real and rapid progress is possible, but urgent acceleration is needed in 107 countries.
📚Data from 2017 and 2020 show that only 32 out of 153 countries that share transboundary rivers, lakes, and aquifers
have 90% or more of those waters covered by operational arrangements.
📚Surface water bodies, such as lakes, rivers, and reservoirs, are undergoing rapid global changes, with one in five river
basins showing high fluctuations in surface water levels in the past 5 years
📚ODA disbursements to the water sector decreased between 2015 and 2021 from $9.6 billion to $8.1 billion, a decrease of 15%. Total ODA commitments to the water sector have also reduced by 12% from $11.2 billion in 2015 to $9.8 billion in 2021.
📚Since 2016, the proportion of countries with defined legal or policy procedures for local community participation in rural drinking water and water resources management has remained above 70%, while the percentage of countries with
substantial levels of participation has consistently stayed below 40%.

The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023: Special Edition provides a powerful call to action, presenting a candid assessment of the SDGs based on the latest data and estimates. While highlighting the existing gaps and urging the world to redouble its efforts, the report also emphasizes the immense potential for success through strong political will and the utilization of available technologies, resources, and knowledge. Together, the global community can reignite progress towards achieving the SDGs and create a brighter future for all.

According to the report, the impacts of the climate crisis, the war in Ukraine, a weak global economy, and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have revealed weaknesses and hindered progress towards the Goals. The report further warns that while lack of progress is universal, it is the world’s poorest and most vulnerable who are experiencing the worst effects of these unprecedented global challenges. It also points out areas that need urgent action to rescue the SDGs and deliver meaningful progress for people and the planet by 2030.

The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023: Special Edition is the only UN official report that monitors global progress on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Using the latest available data and estimates, the report provides a comprehensive midpoint assessment of the 2030 Agenda, highlighting not only impacts of multiple crises affecting people's lives and livelihoods, but also areas of progress where acceleration is needed. This annual SDG Report is prepared by UN DESA, in collaboration with the entire UN Statistical System, consisting of more than 50 international and regional agencies, based on data from over 200 countries and territories.

Alarming trends in land degradation call for urgent action to restore the Earth

Between 2015 and 2019, at least 100 million hectares of healthy and productive land were degraded every year, affecting food and water security globally. The loss is equivalent to twice the size of Greenland, impacting the lives of 1.3 billion people, who are estimated to be directly exposed to land degradation. Human activities like urban expansion, deforestation and grassland conversion, coupled with climate change are direct drivers of land degradation worldwide.
Demographic and economic trends, governance challenges, and technology and investment gaps also contribute indirectly. Sub-Saharan Africa, Western Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Southern Asia experienced land degradation at rates faster than the global average. If current trends continue, restoring 1.5 billion hectares of land
by 2030 will be necessary to achieve a land-degradation-neutral world.

Alternatively, halting any new land degradation and accelerating existing commitments to restore 1 billion hectares can surpass the neutrality target. Land and ecosystem restoration offer cost-effective solutions to address climate change, biodiversity loss, food and water security, and disaster impacts. To this end, governments, businesses and communities
must collaborate to conserve natural areas, scale up nature-positive food production and develop green urban areas, infrastructure and supply chains.