The costs of meeting the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal targets on drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene

A dedicated goal for water has recently been endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly as part of the sustainable development goal (SDG) framework. This study provides an assessment of the global costs of meeting the WASH-related targets of Goal #6. The targets assessed include achieving universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all (target 6.1), achieving access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all, and ending open defecation (target 6.2). The estimates include 140 countries, or 85% of the world's population, focusing on developing countries. Costs estimated cover those of capital investment, program delivery, operations, and major capital maintenance.

The main findings are:

• Current levels of financing can cover the capital costs of achieving universal basic service for drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene by 2030, provided resources are targeted to the needs.
• The capital investments required to achieve the water supply, sanitation, and hygiene SDGs (targets 6.1 and 6.2) amount to about three times the current investment levels.
• Sustained universal coverage requires more than capital inflows: financial and institutional strengthening will be needed to ensure that capital investments translate into effective service delivery.

The report concludes that the global costs of achieving universal basic WASH by the year 2030 are achievable under current overall sector spending. However, financing challenges remain in some regions and countries where current spending is insufficient to meet the SDG targets by 2030.