The world’s water goal:
where we stand.

What SDG 6 actually says

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are 17 shared targets adopted in 2015. Goal 6 is titled “Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.” Two of its targets matter most for drinking water:

• Target 6.1: “By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all.”
• Target 6.b: “Support and strengthen the participation of local communities in improving water and sanitation management.”

Notice that second one. The world’s own water goal says communities must lead — the same conviction behind community-led wells.

How progress is measured: the service ladder

The WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) tracks drinking water on a “ladder.” From the top:

1. Safely managed — an improved source located on premises, available when needed, and free from faecal and priority chemical contamination.
2. Basic — an improved source within a round trip of 30 minutes.
3. Limited — an improved source, but collecting water takes more than 30 minutes.
4. Unimproved — for example, unprotected wells and springs.
5. Surface water — drinking straight from rivers, lakes, ponds and streams.

A protected, well-maintained community borehole within easy walking distance can move a whole village up this ladder. See the water glossary for every term.

Where the world stands

There has been real progress: in rural areas, safely managed drinking water coverage rose from 50% to 60% between 2015 and 2024. But the WHO and UNICEF are blunt that the pace is too slow — universal coverage of safely managed services by 2030 “appears increasingly out of reach.”

Who is being left behind

• Least developed countries: people are more than twice as likely as people elsewhere to lack basic drinking water and sanitation.
• Fragile contexts: safely managed drinking water coverage is 38 percentage points lower than in other countries.
• Rural communities: still behind towns and cities despite gains.
• Women and girls: primarily responsible for collecting water, with many in sub-Saharan Africa and Central and Southern Asia spending more than 30 minutes a day doing it.

These are exactly the communities where a single well can change daily life the most — read seven ways one well blesses a community.

What actually closes the gap

The data points to three things: reaching the people furthest behind first, building services that keep working, and putting communities in charge — target 6.b again. Wells that break and are never fixed don’t move anyone up the ladder for long. That’s why sustainability is the first question to ask any water project.

Your part in the goal

Global goals are met one community at a time. You can help Water Well Project make its first confirmed well possible by giving through the official campaign, praying through the 7-day guide, or rallying your church with the partner toolkit.

Questions people ask