Understanding the Challenges
Two global goals, one connected system. Start with the basics, then go deeper.
Clean Water and Sanitation
Freshwater is a tiny, unevenly distributed fraction of Earth's water. Pollution, over-extraction and a changing climate make safe water harder to secure.
Water scarcity
Demand exceeds available supply in many regions, especially arid areas.
Water pollution
Industrial, agricultural and untreated wastewater degrade rivers and aquifers.
Unequal access
Access to safely managed water differs sharply between and within countries.
Groundwater depletion
Pumping faster than natural recharge lowers water tables over time.
Sustainable management
Efficiency, reuse and protection of sources keep water available for the future.
Climate link
Water availability depends heavily on temperature and rainfall patterns.
How Does Climate Change Affect Water?
Less predictable seasons and intensities.
Longer dry periods reduce reservoirs and soil moisture.
Heavy downpours overwhelm drainage and treatment.
Warmer water and runoff can increase contamination.
Melting glaciers and sea-level rise threaten supplies.
Climate Action
Climate change is the long-term shift in temperatures and weather patterns. Since the industrial era, human activities — mainly burning fossil fuels — have been the main driver.
- 1. Sunlight passes through the atmosphere and warms the surface.
- 2. Earth radiates heat as infrared energy.
- 3. Greenhouse gases absorb and re-emit part of it, warming the planet further.
Mostly from burning fossil fuels and cement production. It is long-lived, so it accumulates over centuries.
From agriculture, landfills, wastewater and fossil fuel leaks. Traps heat more strongly per molecule but breaks down faster than CO₂.
Mitigation
Reducing emissions or removing greenhouse gases.
Adaptation
Preparing for impacts: floods, droughts, heat.
How SDG 6 and SDG 13 connect
Click each element to reveal the connection.
Climate change
Warming alters evaporation and rainfall, intensifying droughts and floods that stress water supplies.