Water quality (SDG 6.3.2) Too little data


Proportion of bodies of water with good ambient water quality Water quality data submitted by region


10 12 14 16 18 20


0 2 4 6 8


Water efficiency (SDG 6.4.1) No data available


Proportion of total water withdrawn for agriculture (%) Water use efficiency by region ((USD/m2


Central Asia and Southern Asia Asia and the Pacific


Eastern Asia and South-eastern Asia Latin America and the Caribbean Western Asia and Northern Africa Sub-Saharan Africa Africa


Oceania excluding Australia and New Zealand Western Asia World


Northern America and Europe Australia and New Zealand Northern America


Europe Africa Americas Asia Europe


Source: UNEP and UNSD 2018 Tier II; Custodian agency: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)


Adequate quality and quantity of water are necessary for achieving the SDGs for health, food security, and water security. Therefore, it is concerning that water pollution has worsened since the 1990s in a majority of rivers in Latin America, Africa, and Asia (UNEP 2016c). Reliable water quality monitoring data are required to assess the status and trends of water quality for human and ecosystem health, as well as to inform policymakers in taking appropriate decisions conducive to water resource protection and restoration, both in terms of water bodies and water-related ecosystems. However, there is a lack of data on freshwater quality. During the 2017 data drive, 52 Member States reported on their ambient water quality and some of the submissions had very few data points. The conclusions drawn from these assessments could be improved by incorporating data at higher spatial and temporal resolutions (UNEP 2018c).


Oceania


Source: FAO and UN-Water 2018 Tier II; Custodian agency


The agricultural sector is responsible for 69 per cent of all water used globally. Improving water efficiency, particularly in the agricultural sector, is an essential component of food and water security (Wallace 2000). Water-use efficiency is defined as the value added per unit of water used (FAO and United Nations Water [UN-Water] 2018). Most of the world is dependent on exploitation of their water resources to both generate economic growth and to provide food for the population. In general, countries with the highest proportion of water used for the agricultural sector also have the lowest water efficiency. The lowest water efficiency is found in Central Asia and Africa. As much of the world is facing water scarcity concerns, there is a need to promote sustainable agricultural practices towards reducing the inefficient use of water. There are many new techniques that have the possibility to reduce water intensity of agriculture. For example, water scarcity can be reduced by improving water-use efficiency and shifting economic activities to less water-intensive sectors.


0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 (USD/m3 ), base year 2015


), base year 2015


Sustainable Development Goal


53


Number


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