Water Management: Pivotal to Achieving Sustainable Development Goals

Six months ago, an unprecedented gathering of world leaders assem- bled at the United Nations to establish Sustainable Develop- ment Goals (SDGs) defining a shared vision for 2030. Weeks later, they met in Paris to set ambitious goals on climate change mitigation and adaptation. These meetings generated a great deal of excitement, but also a crushing amount of work. With 17 Sustainable Development Goals, 169 associated targets, and aggressive climate commitments to meet, governments now need to turn words into action. They should start by defining and investing in pivotal “platform capabilities” that will accelerate progress toward multiple goals. Improving water management should be at the top of this list.

Policymakers might be excused for feeling utterly bewildered about how to begin making progress toward the SDGs. Should they focus on ending AIDS, malaria, and waterborne and other communicable diseases (Target 3.3) or on doubling the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency (Target 7.3)? With limited resources and hundreds of competing goals, national leaders cannot and should not try to pursue all at once. Rather, they must do what global negotiators could not – define clear priorities that reflect the most urgent needs. 

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