Abstract
Monitoring the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 for water and sanitation builds on monitoring frameworks that were developed for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), specifically the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP). Yet, since SDG 6 goes beyond the MDG focus on drinking water and sanitation, it also significantly expands monitoring and reporting responsibilities. The target to improve water quality (Target 6.3) calls for water quality monitoring and data reporting that are likely to pose a significant challenge to countries that lack an established monitoring program. At the same time, redundant burdens may be imposed on countries that already have established programs and report out water quality data to inter- or supranational agencies. In this context, there is a risk that the intention that water quality data should serve as a basis for evidence-based decision making will become subsidiary to the resource-intensive activities of data collection and management. Alternatively, policies could be designed based on historical experience with measures of proven effectiveness, prioritizing policies that could have multiple benefits. Policies could be implemented in parallel with the development of monitoring programs and conventional monitoring data could be complemented by information gained from sources such as remote sensing and unstructured data.
Highlights
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) pose many challenges to the nations that adopted them in 2015
For all SDGs, a fundamental challenge is how to assess the progress being made with respect to both the current and desired situations
The definition of targets and indicators is an integral part of the development of the SDGs and their implementation will be accompanied by extensive monitoring campaigns
Summary
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) pose many challenges to the nations that adopted them in 2015. The SDGs and their accompanying targets are seen as “a management tool to help countries develop implementation strategies and allocate resources as well as a report card to measure progress towards sustainable development and help ensure the accountability of all stakeholders for achieving the SDGs” [1] It is, indispensable to have adequate information regarding a current situation before identifying measures to address its deficits. Several UN agencies are cooperating to develop a new global monitoring initiative, Integrated Monitoring of Water and Sanitation Related SDG Targets (GEMI), to compile data on SDG targets 6.3–6.6, which address wastewater treatment and water quality, water use and use efficiency, integrated water resources management (IWRM) and water-related ecosystems [2] In this commentary, SDG target 6.3 is taken as an example to illustrate issues related to monitoring, both generally and in the context of supporting national objectives. These considerations pose particular problems when examining long-term, historical data and/or when comparing data collected by different agencies in different locations
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