The Sustainable Water and Energy Solutions Partnership

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development recognizes the central role that improved access to both water and energy play in advancing sustainable development. Powering progress on SDG 6 on water and SDG 7 on energy will also have an effect on a range of other Sustainable Development Goals, such as those on health, food, poverty eradication, gender equality, economic productivity, and climate change. The importance of energy and water and their strong interdependence have become more evident during the COVID-19 world crisis of 2020. Without the critical services of water and energy, the full spectrum of health services could not be implemented.

Recognizing the need to address the interlinkages between water and energy and their contributions to the advancement of other SDGs, the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) and ITAIPU Binacional joined efforts in 2018 in a partnership entitled “Sustainable Water and Energy Solutions” to promote water and energy sustainability and other SDGs. The initiative resulted in the creation of the global Sustainable Water and Energy Solutions Network on SDG 6 and SDG 7 interlinkages, with a large number of multi-stakeholders from all regions and constituencies. The aim is to bring together all stakeholders to promote an integrated approach to SDG 6 and SDG 7 in support of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Joint Programme Coordination Unit

Photo credit: UNDESA and ITAIPU Binacional