2023 UN Water Conference Side Event: Accelerating the achievement of SDG 6 in LLDCs

water-conference-lldc-side-event.png

Thursday, 23 March 2023 - 3:30pm to 5:00pm

Thursday 23rd March, Trusteeship Council UNHQ

Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) – to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all –is a key enabler for achieving the other SDGs. However, despite this importance, the Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) lag behind the collective ambition to ensure universal access to water and sanitation by 2030.

The provision of safe and clean sources of water is a necessity for human survival and a right to development yet many LLDCs face severe challenges, including water stress, climate change, growing demand and deterioration of water quality. Many LLDCs are located in dry and other ecologically vulnerable regions and their water challenges are being exacerbated by climate change, desertification, drought and land degradation - as well as water-related natural hazards. This, in turn, affects human health, economic activities, and food and energy supplies. Urgent action is needed to ensure a sustainable access to water.

Solutions to increase access water do exist. Water harvesting, conservation strategies, integrated water resources management and desalination technologies. These can have a greater role to play. Scaling up such initiatives is important for supporting the LLDCs to reach the SDGs, combat the climate crisis, and build lives of dignity for all.

LLDCs need continued, strong support from development partners - in the North and South - to complement their national efforts and regional collaboration on developing access to all for water and sanitation. Enhanced support is required towards financing and sustainable water technologies and better sanitation technologies. Greater efforts are also needed to mobilize all the other stakeholders to contribute to efforts to increase access to water and sanitation in LLDCs.

Objective

This Side Event will review the progress made by LLDCs towards achieving SDG 6; discuss the challenges that they face; and identify successful solutions and strategic actions that can be adopted, adapted or scaled up in LLDCs to close the gap and to accelerate progress towards SDG 6.

The event will encourage participants to identify new and emerging issues, exchange national and local experiences and practices, and showcase voluntary commitments for the Water Action Agenda that include Commit to action: sustain and scale up implementation; and follow-up and review processes.