UN-Water paper on a Post-2015 Global Goal for Water

27 January 2014

A Post-2015 Global Goal for Water:
Synthesis of key findings and recommendations from UN-Water

Suggestions for a global goal for water Water’s fundamental importance for human development, the environment and the economy needs to feature prominently in the new post-2015 development agenda. UN-Water and its partners have therefore come together to develop these suggestions for a dedicated global goal for water, ‘Securing sustainable water for all’. This is intended as a constructive contribution to current discussions on the new development agenda and how water related issues are incorporated into it. The framework for this global goal for water is designed to promote human well-being, economic prosperity and the preservation of environmental capital. The framework thus contains all three dimensions of sustainable development - social, economic and environmental.

The proposal aims to support the protection of water resources from over exploitation and pollution while meeting drinking water and sanitation needs, energy, agriculture and other uses. It further aims to protect communities from water-related disasters. It supports the realization of the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation as well as other rights including those to life, of the child, of an adequate standard of living, and health. The proposal is a key building block for sustainable development, underpinning all other efforts to eradicate extreme poverty by 2030. It proposes targets and related indicators that will help countries to reach the goal by 2030. It illustrates the costs and benefits of doing so and discusses means of implementation. The diagram below shows the suggested goal and the key interlinked targets.