Water security underpins sustainable development and plays a crucial role in achieving the 2030 Agenda. A 2018 UN Report concluded that achieving SDG 6, ensuring water and sanitation for all, is essential for progress on all other SDGs, and conversely, the achievement of SDG 6 depends on the overall progress of the entire 2030 Agenda.

It also concluded that the world is far from reaching SDG 6. For Africa, like elsewhere, water both enables and is impacted by many other sectors. Water is a necessity for life, indispensable for domestic consumption, also so essential for many economic sectors including agriculture and food production, energy production, transport, industry and tourism.

Nearly 3 out of 4 jobs in the global workforce (3.2 billion people), are moderately or highly dependent upon access to water and water-related services.

Report by the African Development Bank