Urgent action is needed globally and locally to achieve safe and sustainably managed water, sanitation and hygiene for all in order to prevent devastating impacts on the health of millions of people.

Findings from World Health Organization and United Nations show that acceleration is needed in many countries to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 6 – clean water and sanitation for all by 2030.

The goal seeks to “Ensure [the] availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all,” with six outcome targets on the broader water sector including WASH.

SDG goals are broken into targets. Target, 6.a says: By 2030, expand international cooperation and capacity-building support to developing countries in water- and sanitation-related activities and programs, including water harvesting, desalination, water efficiency, wastewater treatment, recycling and reuse technologies. Target 6.b states: support and strengthen the participation of local communities in improving water and sanitation management. 

While 45% of countries are on track to achieve their nationally-defined drinking-water coverage targets, only 25% of countries are on track to achieve their national sanitation targets. Less than a third of countries reported to have sufficient human resources required to carry out key drinking-water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) functions.

While progress is being made on global fronts, ECHO trainers in East Africa and Thailand are working to help eliminate this problem at the household level by using biosand and biochar water filters.

Proven over the years, this technology can effectively provide safe drinking water to the household. It works by filtering impurities through a natural biological layer and then layers of sand, pebbles and stone. The biosand filter can be made using local materials and is a low-cost system that removes suspended sediments and other impurities from water in order to make it safer for human consumption. The result is clean water for drinking for domestic use. This bottom-up approach will complement and help communities work together to achieve national and global goals.

 “We are facing an urgent crisis: poor access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene claim millions of lives each year, while the increasing frequency and intensity of climate-related extreme weather events continue to hamper the delivery of safe WASH services,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “We call on governments and development partners to strengthen WASH systems and dramatically increase investment to extend access to safely managed drinking water and sanitation services to all by 2030, beginning with the most vulnerable.”

To access a collection of water, sanitation, and hygiene resources, or plans to build the bio-sand filter on ECHOcommunity, visit http://edn.link/water.