Global Civil Society & the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Goal 6: Ensure access to water and sanitation for all

Clean Water & Sanitation


Clean, accessible water for all is an essential part of the world we want to live in and there is sufficient fresh water on the planet to achieve this. However, due to bad economics or poor infrastructure, millions of people including children die every year from diseases associated with inadequate water supply, sanitation and hygiene.

Water scarcity, poor water quality and inadequate sanitation negatively impact food security, livelihood choices and educational opportunities for poor families across the world. At the current time, more than 2 billion people are living with the risk of reduced access to freshwater resources and by 2050, at least one in four people is likely to live in a country affected by chronic or recurring shortages of fresh water. Drought in specific afflicts some of the world’s poorest countries, worsening hunger and malnutrition. Fortunately, there has been great progress made in the past decade regarding drinking sources and sanitation, whereby over 90% of the world’s population now has access to improved sources of drinking water.

To improve sanitation and access to drinking water, there needs to be increased investment in management of freshwater ecosystems and sanitation facilities on a local level in several developing countries within Sub-Saharan Africa, Central Asia, Southern Asia, Eastern Asia and South-Eastern Asia.

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

Southern African Development Community

SADC 1992 Gaborone Botswana F g

Southern African Society of Aquatic Scientists

SASAqS 1963 Potchefstroom South Africa N

Southern African-Nordic Centre

SANORD 2007 Cape Town South Africa E

Southern and Eastern Africa Rainwater Network

SearNet 2003 F

Speak Up Africa

Dakar Senegal J

Special Emergency Assistance Fund for Drought and Famine in Africa

SEAF 1984 Abidjan Côte d'Ivoire F fg

SPMUDA International Organization for Peace and Development

SPMUDA International Dumaguete City Philippines G

Standing Committee to the Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats

1982 Strasbourg France E gy

Starlight Foundation

2007 La Laguna Spain G f

Sterile Barrier Association

SBA 1992 Bridgwater UK D

Stichting Gered Gereedschap

1982 Amsterdam Netherlands G f

Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants

POP treaty 2001 T g

Stockholm International Water Institute

SIWI 1997 Stockholm Sweden G j

Sulabh International Social Service Organization

SISSO 1970 New Delhi India G

Supplementary Convention Amending the Convention Concerning the Tenure and Disposal of Real and Personal Property

1936 T g

SurfAid international

SAI 2000 Avalon NSW Australia F

Susila Dharma International Association

SDIA 1983 Québec QC Canada E y

Sustainable Hospitality Alliance

1992 London UK F

Sustainable Mekong Research Network

SUMERNET 2005 Bangkok Thailand F

Sustainable Sanitation Alliance

SuSanA 2007 Bonn Germany F y

Swiss Foundation for Mine Action

Geneva Switzerland G f

Swiss Interchurch Aid

1946 Zurich Switzerland G

Temporary Agreement for the Regulation of the Fisheries in Waters Contiguous to the Northern Coasts of the Territory of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

1930 T g

TerraGraphics International Foundation

TIFO 2012 Moscow ID USA G f

The Butterfly Effect

BE 2010 Montréal QC Canada F y

The European Plastic Pipes and Fittings Association

TEPPFA 1992 Brussels Belgium D t

The Global Business Initiative on Human Rights

GBI 2009 Eastbourne UK F

The Ocean Cleanup

2013 Rotterdam Netherlands G f

The Sanitation & Hygiene Fund

SHF 2020 Geneva Switzerland F f

The Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative

Vienna Austria G

The SeaCleaners

2016 La Trinité-sur-Mer France G

The Sustainable Trade Initiative

IDH 2008 Utrecht Netherlands F f

The Vetiver Network International

TVNI 1989 San Antonio TX USA F

The World Bank Group

Washington DC USA F g

Third World Center for Water Management

1999 Glasgow UK G

Third World Network

TWN 1984 Penang Malaysia F

Timor Aid

1998 Dili Timor-Leste G

Toilet Board Coalition

TBC 2015 Geneva Switzerland C

Toilets for All

Geneva Switzerland J f

Tomorrow People Organization

2002 Belgrade Serbia G

Tostan

1991 Dakar Senegal F

Trans-ASEAN Energy Network

Jakarta Indonesia J gp

Transition Network

2006 Totnes UK G

TransWorld Development Initiatives

TWDI Brentwood MD USA G

Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapon Tests in the Atmosphere, in Outer Space and under Water

1963 T g

Triangle génération humanitaire

TGH 1994 Lyon France G

Trocaire - Catholic Agency for World Development

1973 Kildare Ireland G v

Tunza Southeast Asia Youth Environment Network

SEAYEN Singapore Singapore F

UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo

UNMIK 1999 Pristina Kosovo E g

UN Nutrition

2020 Rome Italy E y

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