Global Civil Society & the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Goal 6: Ensure access to water and sanitation for all

Clean Water & Sanitation


Access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene is the most basic human need for health and well-being. Billions of people will lack access to these basic services in 2030 unless progress quadruples. Demand for water is rising owing to rapid population growth, urbanization and increasing water needs from agriculture, industry, and energy sectors.

The demand for water has outpaced population growth, and half the world’s population is already experiencing severe water scarcity at least one month a year. Water scarcity is projected to increase with the rise of global temperatures as a result of climate change.

Investments in infrastructure and sanitation facilities; protection and restoration of water- related ecosystems; and hygiene education are among the steps necessary to ensure universal access to safe and affordable drinking water for all by 2030, and improving water-use efficiency is one key to reducing water stress.

There has been positive progress. Between 2015 and 2022, the proportion of the world’s population with access to safely managed drinking water increased from 69 per cent to 73 per cent.

Name Acronym Founded City HQ Country/Territory HQ Type I Type II

Global Coral Reef Alliance

GCRA 1990 Cambridge MA USA N

Global Development Research Centre

GDRC 2000 Kobe Japan G

Global Diaspora Confederation

GDC 2020 F

Global Engineering Deans Council

GEDC 2008 Fairfax VA USA E

Global Environment and Natural Resources Institute

GENRI 2013 Fairfax VA USA G j

Global Fellowship of Christian Youth

Global Fellowship 1963 Hemel Hempstead UK F

Global Greens

2001 Brussels Belgium F

Global Harmonization Initiative

GHI 2007 Vienna Austria F

Global Hope Mobilization

GLOHOMO Lilongwe Malawi G

Global Hygiene Council

GHC 2006 J

Global Impact

1956 Alexandria VA USA G y

Global Information Infrastructure Commission

GIIC 1995 Washington DC USA G

Global Infrastructure Alliance for Internet Safety

GIAIS 2004 F

Global Infrastructure Basel Foundation

GIB Foundation 2008 Basel Switzerland F f

Global Infrastructure Connectivity Alliance

GICA 2016 Singapore Singapore E y

Global Infrastructure Hub

GI Hub 2014 Sydney NSW Australia E

Global Initiatives for Sustainable Development and Humanitarian Action

GI Kathmandu Nepal G

Global Institute for Disease Elimination

GLIDE 2017 Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates C

Global Institute for Water, Environment and Health

GIWEH 2007 Geneva Switzerland C j

Global Interfaith WASH Alliance

GIWA 2013 Rishikesh India J

Global Lighting Association

2007 Ipswich QLD Australia F y

Global Network for Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production

RECPnet 2010 Vienna Austria F y

Global Off-Grid Lighting Association

GOGLA 2012 Amsterdam Netherlands E y

Global Outreach Doctors

2014 Santa Fe NM USA G

Global Parliament of Mayors

GPM 2016 The Hague Netherlands F v

Global Partnership for Oceans

GPO 2012 B y

Global Partnership for Results-Based Approaches

GPRBA 2003 Washington DC USA E gy

Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-Based Activities

GPA 1995 Nairobi Kenya K g

GLOBAL RESPONSIBILITY - Austrian Platform for Development and Humanitarian Aid

2008 Vienna Austria G y

Global Rights

1978 Abuja Nigeria G

Global Rivers Environmental Education Network

GREEN 1984 Denver CO USA G

Global Runoff Data Centre

GRDC 1988 Koblenz Germany E g

Global Smart Energy Federation

GSEF 2010 Baltimore MD USA E

Global Soap Project

Atlanta GA USA G

Global Soil Partnership

GSP Rome Italy E gy

Global Sustainable Technology and Innovation Conference

G-STIC 2017 S c

Global Sustainable Tourism Council

GSTC 2010 Washington DC USA B y

Global Terrestrial Network - Hydrology

GTN-H 2001 Koblenz Germany F g

Global WASH Cluster

GWC 2006 Geneva Switzerland E y

Global Waste Cleaning Network

GWCN 2020 Bury St Edmunds UK J y

Global Water

1982 Arlington VA USA G

Global Water Challenge

GWC 2006 Arlington VA USA G

Global Water Operators' Partnerships Alliance

GWOPA 2009 Bonn Germany E y

Global Water Partnership

GWP 1996 Stockholm Sweden F

Global Water Recycling and Reuse System Association

GWRA 2008 Tokyo Japan N

Global Water Research Coalition

GWRC 2002 Stirling SA Australia C

Global Water Solidarity

GWS 2012 Geneva Switzerland E y

GO15

2004 Lansdale PA USA F

Graduate Women International

GWI 1919 Châtelaine Switzerland B

Grassroots International

GI 1983 Boston MA USA G

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