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SIWI Input to the 2021 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF)
‘Sustainable and resilient recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic that promotes the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development: building an inclusive and effective path for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda in the context of the decade of action and delivery for sustainable development‘
Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI)
Who is SIWI?
SIWI is a water institute. We leverage knowledge and our convening power to strengthen water governance for a just, prosperous, and sustainable future. SIWI focuses on a range of research and development topics within and around water that support decision-makers worldwide. SIWI hosts the World Water Week, the world’s leading annual water event, and awards the Stockholm Water Prize, the world’s most prestigious water award, and the Stockholm Junior Water Prize to foster future generations of water excellence. SIWI also hosts several flagship programs, including the UNDP-SIWI Water Governance Facility, the International Centre for Water Cooperation (ICWC), and the Action Platform for Source-to-Sea Management (S2S Platform). SIWI is also home to the Swedish Water House, which connects Swedish water stakeholders with each other and to international processes.
Water and COVID-19
The impacts
The COVID-19 pandemic clearly demonstrates the importance of ensuring water and sanitation for all for public health and resilience at the individual and societal levels. Handwashing, early on, was promoted as an important practice to limit the spread of the virus, but for the 3 billion people in the world without any basic hand-washing facility with soap and water at home, this crucial and basic protective measure is out of reach.
While SDG 6 is not one of the SDGs under review at this year’s HLPF, progress on SDG 6 is inextricably linked to the success of SDG 3 on good health and well-being in that water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) are critical to maintaining a healthy everyday life. But we are not on track to meeting the targets of SDG 6. According to the latest UN-Water progress update report, 2 billion people around the world lack even basic sanitation services, with 7 out of 10 of the 2 billion located in rural areas and 3 out of 10 in Least Developed Countries. 673 million people still practise open defecation. Over half of the population in rural areas and nearly three quarters of the population of Least Developed Countries lack handwashing facilities with soap and water. In Sub-Saharan Africa, 2 out of 5 people have no handwashing facility at all. Good health and well-being are simply not possible without adequate and equitable water, sanitation, and hygiene.
In the same spirit, water is also essential to SDG 1 on alleviating poverty and ensuring a dignified life for all. The 3 billion people without the ability to wash their hands at home disproportionally live in Least Developed Countries, and marginalized communities, such as ethnic minorities, slum dwellers, or indigenous communities, are often most at risk. Leaving no one behind requires a much stronger effort be made to ensure access to water and sanitation for those groups, not least during the pandemic.
