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North South University

Course Name: Introduction to Environmental Science
Course Code: ENV107
Section: 24

SDG 6
Clean Water and Sanitation

Submitted To
Yasin Kabir (YKR)
Lecturer
North South University

Submitted By

ID:
BBA
North South University
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Table of Contents

Why I have Chosen the Particular Goal....................................................3

Introduction.............................................................................................3
Current Status of Clean Water and Sanitation.........................................4
Impact and Reason of Water Pollution....................................................4
Global Overview of Access to Clean Water and Sanitation......................5
Wastewater Management.......................................................................5
Water Scarcity and Conservation.............................................................6
Recommendations...................................................................................6
References............................................................................................... 7
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Why I have Chosen the Particular Goal

I selected Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) because I believe that everyone needs access to
clean water and proper sanitation. I want everyone to have access to clean water and good sanitation
and a better quality of life. SDG 6 focuses on improving human health and ensuring that everyone has
access to clean water and sanitation. By taking action, we can achieve SDG 6's objective.

Introduction

Most of the water on this earth is not usable by humans. Only 3% of the water on the planet is fresh
water, which is extremely low. Only 1.2% water of the total is drinkable. We need water to survive, and
60% of our body weight is made up of water. Polluted water can impact our quality of life and health. We
need pure water to drink, and that must be free from pollution.

The sixth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) is to "ensure the availability and sustainable
management of water and sanitation for all". Many people in the world are unable to drink safe water,
and don't have access to appropriate sanitation services. The targets of the goals are to make sure that
everyone has access to clean water, good sanitation, improved water quality, and sustainable water
management while also aiding developing nations and conserving ecosystems by 2030. The target for
achieving SDG 6 has some good progress as well as some problems. Many regions have implemented
significant approaches for safe water and sanitation, like effective policies, investment in infrastructure
and technologies, and hygiene education. But many sub-Saharan African nations and some parts of
South Asia are enduring difficulties because of Conflicts, weak political stability, inadequate
infrastructure, climatic susceptibility, urbanization, and increased industrialization. These and other
issues, such as the gap between rich and poor countries, overpopulation, and climate change, can affect
fulfilling these goals.
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Current Status of Clean Water and Sanitation

Sanitation and access to clean water are both problematic at the moment. Many people in the world
lack access to clean sanitation and lack access to regulated drinking water.

According to WHO and UNICEF There are 2 billion individuals who live without access to properly
regulated drinking water, 1.2 billion of them have access to basic drinking water services. Almost 3.6
billion people in the world don’t have access to safe sanitation in their home. 1.9 billion of them have
access to only minimal sanitary services and Open defecation is practiced by 494 million individuals. In
rural areas, eight out of ten individuals still don't have access to basic drinking water services. Africa's
Sub-Saharan region lags behind the most. Urban residents' access remained mostly stable or declined
throughout this time, whilst the rural population's access improved. The current rates of advancement
would need to accelerate by three to six times in order to reach universal coverage by 2030.

Impact and Reason of Water Pollution

Polluted water impacts on human health and environment and this problem affect both developed and
developing countries. According to a study that was published in The Lancet, 1.8 million people died in
2015 from polluted water. Diseases like cholera, trachoma, schistosomiasis, and helminthiasis are more
common where there is a lack of access to water and
sanitary facilities.

Most of the water polluted by human activities like

factories, waste management facilities, refineries,
excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers, Oil Leaks and
Spills etc. Water can be contaminated naturally as well.
Volcanoes, Animal waste, algae, floods, arsenic etc. are
natural casus of water pollution. In developing
countries most of it is caused by increased industrial
and other economic activity, urbanization and
population growth, as well as intensification and
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extension of agriculture, long-term political, governmental, and public apathy to maintain and improve
water and wastewater management procedures.

Global Overview of Access to Clean Water and Sanitation

One of our most fundamental needs as humans is to have access to clean drinking water, sanitation, and
facilities for hygiene. Worldwide many people are still lacking access to these basic necessities. According
to the WHO estimate, in 2023, almost 5.8 billion people worldwide (73% of the population) used a
drinking-water service that was safely
managed. This indicates that 2.2 billion
people, or 27% of the world's population,
lacked access to safely managed drinking
water. In developing nations, access to clean
water is a significant issue. Only 48% of people
in sub-Saharan Africa have access to properly
managed drinking water. The percentage in
South Asia is 68%. 4.5 billion people (67% of
the population) have access to proper
sanitation service that means 33% of the
population don’t have this service. In North
America, Latin America, Europe, South Asia, East Asia, and the Pacific, many countries in this region have
made great progress in terms of safely managed drinking water and sanitation. The nations in sub-
Saharan Africa, which has the lowest access to clean water and sanitary facilities worldwide.

Wastewater Management

Wastewater is any water that has been contaminated or whose quality has been negatively impacted by
human activity. Domestic, industrial, commercial, and agricultural activity can all contribute to the
production of wastewater. Wastewater treatment, also known as wastewater management, is the
process of turning wastewater into an effluent that may either be recycled or returned to the water cycle
with little to no negative environmental impact. Some process for wastewater treatment are Phase
Separation, Sedimentation, Filtration, Oxidation. Wastewater treatment plants such as Sewage
treatment plants, Industrial wastewater treatment plants, Agricultural wastewater treatment plants
should set up to treat wastewater in an efficient way.
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Water Scarcity and Conservation

Water Scarcity

Water shortage is referred to as "water scarcity", a mismatch between water supply and demand, as well
as good quality of water. Water scarcity can be physical or economic. Lack of enough water resources in
a region is known as Physical water scarcity. In dry, arid parts of the world, physical water scarcity is a
common problem. Physical water scarcity is made worse by unpredictable precipitation patterns brought
on by climate change, which raises the risk of flooding and drought. When people cannot afford to get
water, there is an Economic water scarcity. Economic water scarcity is a result of an uneven distribution
of resources due to a variety of factors, including racial and political conflict. This form of water scarcity
negatively impacts much of sub-Saharan Africa.

Water Conservation

Using water efficiently to eliminate wasteful water use is the practice of water conservation. Both
technological and behavioral decisions can contribute to conservation. High-efficiency washing
machines, low-flow showerheads, and toilets are a few examples of water-saving technology. Turning off
the water while brushing your teeth is one water-saving habit, along with taking shorter showers and
showers rather than baths, and replacing faulty faucets. In order to ensure that this essential resource is
available for future generations, water conservation is not only a responsibility but also a requirement.

Recommendations

The main goal of SDG 6 is to ensure that everyone has access to water and sanitation. Still, many regions
and nations don’t have access to clean water and sanitation. Here are some recommendations to ensure
and improve clean water and sanitation services for all. At first, improve access to clean water and
sanitation in rural areas. Secondly, educate people for necessity of proper hygiene and sanitation
practice. In order to ensure that everyone has access to clean water and good sanitation, international
organizations and NGOs should make greater investments in this sector and to launch extensive
awareness campaigns about the value of clean water and sanitation in both urban and rural people.
Government of all nations should take effective policies, regulation and invest to ensure clean water and
proper sanitation for all.
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References

 https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/global/wash_statistics.html#:~:text=2%20billion%20people
%20lack%20access,have%20basic%20drinking%20water%20service.&text=Between
%202015%20and%202020%2C%20107,to%20safe%20toilets%20at%20home.
 https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/water-and-sanitation/
 https://thewaterproject.org/water-scarcity/water_scarcity_2
 https://online.ecok.edu/articles/causes-of-water-pollution/
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_conservation
 https://www.who.int/teams/environment-climate-change-and-health/water-sanitation-and-
health/monitoring-and-evidence/wash-monitoring
 https://www.tutorialspoint.com/environmental_studies/
environmental_studies_water_waste_management.htm

Word Count: 1270 (Without cover page, table of contents and references)