Water stress (SDG 6.4.2) Too little data
Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources. Levels of water stress by country (%) (2000–2015)
Water resource management (SDG 6.5.1) Too little data
Degree of integrated water resources management implementation (0-100). Country implementation of integrated water resources management
Source: FAO and International Water Management Institute (IWMI) 2015 Tier I; Custodian agency: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
The world’s average water stress level stands at almost 13 percent with more than 2 billion people living in countries experiencing high levels of water stress. There are significant differences in water stress among countries and world regions that are hidden in global or regional aggregated assessments. Sub- Saharan Africa has a low level of water stress (3 percent), a figure that is not representative of the higher water stress levels found in the southern parts. For instance, South Africa has an average water stress level of 43 percent. Similarly, water stress values at the national level can conceal differences between wet and dry areas within a country. Estimates for the level of water stress are available for 171 countries and for all SDG regions. 32 countries experience water stress between 25 and 70 percent and 22 countries are above 70 percent. 11 countries are above 100 percent including Libya, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Jordan, and Kuwait, where the demand for freshwater is largely being met by desalination. An analysis of trends in water stress for the past 20 years (1996–2016) shows that water stress levels have increased in most countries in the world. The likely causes are increased economic activities, growing populations, and improved ways to measure water usage, along with the effects of climatic changes.
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Source: UN Water and UNEP 2018 Tier I; Custodian agency: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
Eighty per cent of countries have laid the foundations for IWRM, but implementation needs to be accelerated to realise the 2030 Agenda. Integrated approaches help to coordinate sustainable development and water management for the full spectrum of users: residents in urban and rural areas, agriculture, industries, energy, and natural ecosystems. So far, 172 countries have reported on the global baseline for indicator 6.5.1, covering 30 aspects of water management, including policies and plans, institutions and stakeholder engagement, management instruments, and financing. The overall scores are categorised into six categories: 20 per cent of countries have started developing elements of IWRM (“very low” and “low” implementation), 40 per cent have institutionalised most elements of IWRM (“medium-low”), 20 per cent are generally implementing most elements of IWRM in long-term programmes (“medium-high”), and 20 per cent are generally achieving policy objectives (“very high” and “high” implementation). The 60 per cent of countries in the very low, low and medium-low categories are unlikely to meet the global target unless implementation is accelerated. Collective action that builds on the multi-stakeholder monitoring and reporting processes is needed to set national targets to accelerate water resources development and management in a sustainable and equitable way.
Measuring Progress Report 2019
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