A healthy link: The Protocol on Water and Health and the Sustainable Development Goals (PDF)

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2030Agenda) has been shaping and will further shape the dynamics in which the international community approaches its main challenges. In the pan-European region, the Protocol on Water and Health has supported remarkable progress in water, sanitation and health, in the past years, in particular in terms of access to water and sanitation, quality of drinking water and reduction of water-related disease. However, there are still many challenges, including: a still unacceptable burden of water-related disease; problems of equity in access to water and sanitation; vulnerability of water supply and sanitation systems to extreme weather events; and a need for increased safety and efficiency of water supply and sanitation systems. All these issues, which are covered by the Protocol, are part of the ambitions of the 2030 Agenda. The Protocol’s provisions and work are fully aligned with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 “Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all”. Moreover, the Protocol supports the implementation of other SDGs pertinent to water, sanitation and health and addressing the above issues: Goal 1 on ending poverty, Goal 2 on improving nutrition, Goal 3 on ensuring health lives and well-being, Goal 4 on equitable quality education, Goal 11 on safe, resilient and sustainable cities and Goal 13 on combating climate change and its impacts. The Protocol can therefore be a powerful tool to promote and operationalize the achievement of the 2030 Agenda. Its planning and accountability approach - through target setting and reporting - offers a practical framework for Parties to translate the ambitions of 2030 Agenda into specific national targets and actions. This brochure is mostly intended for government authorities and stakeholders in the water, health, education, social affairs, finance and other relevant sectors.