Water and Sanitation Ministry’s Chief Engineer-Water Services and Local Water Management, Mark Bannister, said this when he presented a progress report on the challenges and achievements of South Africa meeting the UN-inspired Sustainable Development Goals 6 (SDG) in Pretoria on Saturday.
The SDGs are the world wide blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. SDG 6 is aimed at ensuring availability and sustainability management of water and sanitation for all by 2030, with South Africa localising and adapting the goal’s objectives.
“South Africa, besides other international participants, have been given the authority on how to incorporate SDG 6 targets into national planning processes, policies and strategies, and set their own SDG 6 indicators, taking into account local circumstances.
“South Africa is performing well in SDG 6 and has been internationally acknowledged for the progress made in developing the structure of execution and planning foundations to achieve the 2030 Goals,” Bannister said.
Achieving SDG 6 is essential for progress on all other 16 SDGs and for ensuring that no person is left behind.
“Sustainable management of water and sanitation underpins wider efforts to end poverty, advance sustainable development and sustain peace and stability,” Bannister said.
He said serious data challenges need to be overcome through synchronised data gathering and storage systems, including regular monitoring by relevant stakeholders.
“This must include effective data management systems that allow us to monitor, evaluate, measure the performance of SDG 6 towards the 2030 Goal,” he said.