Pakistan's pursuit of Sustainable Development Goal 6 on water and sanitation is confronted with various challenges, including institutional limitations, economic weaknesses, weak environmental diplomacy, and the impact of climate change. Achieving SDG-6 requires a coordinated and integrated approach that addresses the interrelated issues hindering progress. This article analyzes Pakistan's progress in SDG-6, identifies major shortcomings, and provides policy recommendations for improvement.

While Pakistan grapples with economic and political instability, it faces a trinity of challenges: global climate change, environmental degradation, and the quest for sustainable development. At the heart of this trio lies the pressing need for sustainable water management; however, Pakistan's journey towards achieving this goal is not entirely satisfactory. This article analyzes Pakistan's progress in Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG-6), identifies major shortcomings, and provides policy recommendations for improvement.
Sustainable Development Goals 
Sustainable development, as defined in the famous "Our Common Future" report by the World Commission on Environment and Development in 1987, refers to "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." The need for sustainable development was felt in response to the growing environmental, economic, and social stresses the world faced in the decades before the 1980s. In the 20th century, human economic and industrial activities accelerated, and the global population boomed. While these developments improved the quality of life for many, they also created socioeconomic divides and led to alarming rates of environmental degradation. In this context, under the patronage of the UN, the global community agreed to Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)¹ in the year 2000, followed by Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) designed in 2012² at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and formally adopted in 2015 Paris during COP 21.³

SDG-6 recognizes the fundamental importance of access to clean water and proper sanitation facilities, making it a crucial pillar of sustainable development.

SDGs consist of 17 global goals⁴ to address some of the world's most crucial and wide-ranging challenges. The issues being addressed through SDGs include poverty, hunger, gender inequality, access to education, climate change, and environmental degradation. The SDGs have been designed to be applicable universally and promote inclusive prosperity, peace, and well-being. Specific targets (total 169) and indicators (total 248) to achieve each goal have been articulated to help the countries meet the goals by the year 2030.
SDG-6: Clean Water and Sanitation for All
SDG-6 recognizes the fundamental importance of access to clean water and proper sanitation facilities, making it a crucial pillar of sustainable development. The eight targets set under SDG-6 aim to ensure safe and affordable drinking water for everyone, improving its quality and affordability. The goals also include ending open defecation and providing access to sanitation and hygiene, with particular attention to the needs of vulnerable females. Enhancing water-use efficiency and safe water reuse, while avoiding water resource pollution and preserving freshwater supplies, are also part of the targets. Additionally, SDG-6 emphasizes the significance of integrated water resource management and the protection of water-related ecosystems. Lastly, the targets focus on expanding support for developing countries and engaging local communities in water and sanitation management.
Pakistan’s Water and Sanitation Profile 
Pakistan faces some enormous obstacles in terms of managing surface and groundwater in a sustainable manner. On the one hand, reliance on a single, shared basin with its lower riparian status creates vulnerability for Pakistan. On the other, significant gaps in internal water management and ground regulation add fuel to the fire. All this has resulted in rapidly declining per capita availability and continuously deteriorating water quality in the country. Under the stressed Indus Waters Treaty from Indian aggressive hegemonic posture, industrial and urban pollution, agricultural run-offs, lack of water storage reservoirs, rapidly increasing population, and inefficient domestic irrigation system exacerbate Pakistan's continuous water security. In addition, interprovincial discord on water distribution, global climatic and local environmental stresses further contribute to the emerging crisis. As a result, per capita, water availability in Pakistan has reduced to an alarming 1017m3, which was 1500m3 in 2009⁵ and more than 5500m3 in the 1950s⁶. The statistics show Pakistan's clean water access over four years, from 2016 to 2020. The country's clean water access has been hovering around the mid-30 percent range, with slight fluctuations yearly. 2016 access was reported at 35.86 percent but declined by 0.17 percent to 35.69 percent in 2017. However, there was a marginal improvement of 0.07 percent in 2018, increasing the access rate to 35.76 percent. This positive trend continued in 2019, with another 0.07 percent increase to 35.84 percent. While these small increments show some progress, the overall access to clean water remains relatively low, posing significant challenges to public health and well-being in Pakistan.⁷

Under the stressed Indus Waters Treaty from Indian aggressive hegemonic postures, industrial and urban pollution, agricultural run-offs, lack of water storage reservoirs, rapidly increasing population, and inefficient domestic irrigation system exacerbate Pakistan's continuous water security.

Similarly, Pakistan's sanitation profile does not reflect an encouraging picture. Urban and rural communities face the trauma of outdated and incompetent sanitation systems. As a result, Pakistan stands at the not-so-proud position of being among the top 10 states with the worst sanitation and hygiene conditions.⁸ According to the World Bank Report, 32 percent of Pakistanis do not have access to basic toilet facilities⁹ and 7 percent population practices open defecation. However, the silver lining is that this number has been reduced significantly, as at the dawn of the 21st century, this number was 38 percent.¹⁰ Poor sanitation and contaminated water resources facilities adversely impact children's health and well-being, leaving them prone to diarrhea and other waterborne hazards. Over 19,400 children under five die yearly from diarrhea caused by dirty water and unhygienic toilets.

Pakistan has been directly affected by global climate change, experiencing megafloods since 2010, causing substantial economic and infrastructural losses. Environmental stresses such as rapid overpopulation, deforestation, loss of biodiversity, inefficient waste management, and unchecked urbanization further impede progress and, in some cases, reverse it.

SDG-6 and Pakistan
Like many other developing nations, Pakistan is dealing with various challenges in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). While the country has achieved tremendous progress in several areas, some flaws impede its progress toward the SDGs. It is significant to remember that Pakistan’s progress in SDG-6 cannot be analyzed in isolation from other goals, as a state's overall socioeconomic and political context determines its overall ability to meet SDGs. Table 1 shows Pakistan’s yearly performance in achieving SDGs. The data¹¹ reveals that Pakistan started very low in SDGs ranking. Pakistan's overall performance in achieving SDGs and SDG-6 has been relatively stagnant, and no significant improvement has been made, although some minor fluctuations can be witnessed. The encouraging aspect is that slight improvements have been made in SDG-6 in recent years. The lack of substantial improvement in the country's SDGs rankings indicates that the effectiveness of the policy, the magnitude of attention by the public authorities, and the allocation of resources as well as their effective unitization, needs to be worked on to improve the country's standing in SDGs.

Apart from financial constraints, Pakistan faces challenges rooted in outdated cultural beliefs and practices that hinder the involvement and empowerment of women in the development process. 

The SDGs Annual Report 2023 paints a dismal picture when analyzing Pakistan's performance in SDG-6 indicators (Table-2).¹² Pakistan failed to provide data for three of the five selected indicators in the past years. The available data for the remaining two indicators, namely the percentage of the population using at least essential drinking water and basic sanitation services, also shows a stagnant status since 2020. As for indicators like freshwater withdrawal as a percentage of available freshwater resources, anthropogenic wastewater percentage that receives treatment, and scarce water consumption embodied in imports (m3 H2O eq/capita), data has yet to be provided for the last year. Although Pakistan achieved the last indicator in 2018, the lack of current data on this indicator makes assessing further progress impossible. This indicates significant gaps in monitoring and reporting SDG-6 progress, highlighting the need for improved data collection and evaluation for better policy implementation and achievement of the SDG-6 targets.

Over 19,400 children under five die yearly from diarrhea caused by dirty water and unhygienic toilets. 

Addressing these challenges requires effective coordination mechanisms, capacity-building initiatives, and policies that ensure equitable local engagement across provinces, fostering sustainable water and sanitation management throughout Pakistan.

Obstacles for Pakistan in Achieving SDG-6 
Apart from financial constraints, Pakistan faces challenges rooted in outdated cultural beliefs and practices that hinder the involvement and empowerment of women in the development process. This exclusion leads to a significant portion of the population being deprived of better facilities, resulting in increased disease burden, malnourishment, and limited access to education. These interconnected issues directly impact the country's progress in achieving all SDGs. Moreover, Pakistan has been directly affected by global climate change, experiencing megafloods since 2010, causing substantial economic and infrastructural losses. Environmental stresses such as rapid overpopulation, deforestation, loss of biodiversity, inefficient waste management, and unchecked urbanization further impede progress and, in some cases, reverse it. These factors collectively present significant obstacles to achieving the SDGs in Pakistan.

Pakistan should prioritize investments in water infrastructure, enhance policy implementation and enforcement, strengthen inter-provincial coordination, and promote sustainable water management practices.

The 18th constitutional Amendment in Pakistan, implemented in 2010, also has had significant implications for the engagement of local communities in water and sanitation management, as envisioned by SDG-6 target 8. On the positive side, devolving powers to the provinces has empowered local governments, enabling them to take ownership of water and sanitation initiatives. This local ownership facilitates better alignment of policies and projects with communities' unique needs and preferences. Moreover, decentralization allows provinces to adopt context-specific approaches, tailoring strategies to address local challenges effectively. Additionally, devolution has created opportunities for local capacity-building, empowering community-based organizations and institutions involved in water resource management. However, challenges are also associated with the 18th Amendment's impact on SDG-6 target 8. Disparities may arise between provinces regarding resource allocation and capacity, leading to uneven progress in local engagement. Moreover, coordination challenges between federal and provincial governments and among different provinces may hinder collaborative efforts to address cross-cutting water issues and transboundary challenges. Addressing these challenges requires effective coordination mechanisms, capacity-building initiatives, and policies that ensure equitable local engagement across provinces, fostering sustainable water and sanitation management throughout Pakistan.

Pakistan's outdated irrigation system presents a significant challenge to achieving SDG-6 on water and sanitation. The country heavily relies on irrigation for its agricultural sector, which is a crucial component of the economy and livelihoods of millions of people. 

Pakistan's outdated irrigation system presents a significant challenge to achieving SDG-6 on water and sanitation. The country heavily relies on irrigation for its agricultural sector, which is a crucial component of the economy and livelihoods of millions of people. However, much of the irrigation infrastructure is outdated and inefficient, leading to water wastage, inefficient water distribution, and waterlogging in some areas. The lack of modernization and maintenance of the irrigation system hampers water resource management, exacerbates water scarcity, and affects water quality. Inefficient irrigation practices also contribute to the depletion of groundwater resources, further impacting the availability of clean water for domestic and industrial use. Addressing the challenges posed by the outdated irrigation system is essential to promote sustainable water use, enhance agricultural productivity, and ensure access to clean water for all, as envisioned by SDG-6. This requires investments in upgrading and modernizing the irrigation infrastructure, promoting water-saving techniques, and adopting efficient water management practices to make significant strides toward achieving SDG-6 targets in Pakistan.
Conclusion and Recommendations
Pakistan's pursuit of SDG-6 on water and sanitation is confronted with various challenges, including institutional limitations, economic weaknesses, weak environmental diplomacy, and the impact of climate change. Achieving SDG-6 requires a coordinated and integrated approach that addresses the interrelated issues hindering progress. To overcome these challenges, Pakistan should prioritize investments in water infrastructure, enhance policy implementation and enforcement, strengthen inter-provincial coordination, and promote sustainable water management practices. Engaging in regional and international water diplomacy can foster cooperation and resource-sharing for improved water security. Additionally, empowering women in water management and investing in education and awareness campaigns can drive behavioral change toward sustainable water use. By adopting these measures and addressing the underlying issues, Pakistan can make significant strides toward achieving SDG-6 and creating a more prosperous and resilient future for its citizens.

The writer works as a Lecturer at International Relations Department at National Defence University, Pakistan. His area of interest is International Politics of Environment and Climate Change and National Security of Pakistan. He is also pursuing Ph.D. on the same topic as a subfield of IR.
Email: [email protected]

References

1.   United Nations. 2015. “United Nations Millennium Development Goals.” United Nations. 2015. https://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/.
2.   UNDP. n.d. “Background on the Goals | United Nations Development Programme.” UNDP. https://www.undp.org/sdg-accelerator/background-goals.  
3.   Ibid.
4.   United Nations. 2015. “The 17 Sustainable Development Goals.” United Nations. United Nations. 2015. https://sdgs.un.org/goals.
5.  “Growing Water Crisis Disastrous for Pakistan’s Stability, Says Report.” n.d. ANI News. https://www.aninews.in/news/world/asia/growing-water-crisis-disastrous-for-pakistans-stability-says-report20210909124218/. 
6.   Hussain, Saddam, Muhammad Jehanzeb, Masud Cheema, Muhammad Waqas, and Ahmad Waqas. 2016. “Effect of Potash Application on Growth and Yield of Onion Crop with Drip System.” http://www.pshsciences.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/ICHS2016Proceedings_195.pdf. 
7.  “Pakistan Clean Water Access 2000-2022.” n.d. www.macrotrends.net. https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/PAK/pakistan/clean-water-access-statistics.  
8. “World Toilet Day 19 November 2022 - Pakistan | ReliefWeb.” 2022. Reliefweb.int. November 21, 2022. https://reliefweb.int/report/pakistan/world-toilet-day-19-november-2022#:~:text=Pakistan%20is%20among%20the%20top. 
9.   Ibid.
10. “World Bank Open Data.” n.d. World Bank Open Data. Accessed July 22, 2023. https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.STA.ODFC.ZS?end=2020&locations=PK&start=2000&view=chart.  
11. Based on data collected from SDG Reports from the year 2019 to 2023 as well as SDG Index and Dashboards Reports 2017 and 2018 available at “Sustainable Development Report Dashboards 2019.” 2019. Sdgindex.org. 2019. https://dashboards.sdgindex.org/. 
12. “Implementing the SDG Stimulus Includes the SDG Index and Dashboards.” n.d. https://doi.org/10.25546/102924.