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Sustainable development relies on a constant and reliable source of freshwater. At the most basic individual level we rely on these sources to provide water for drinking, for washing and for food preparation. We also depend on these resources for irrigation, for recreation, to assimilate our waste water, for power generation and to support multiple industries. Freshwater ecosystems provide these services, but their ability to continue to do so is under threat. Pressures from human activities, such as the release of untreated effluent and changes to the surrounding catchment area that include agricultural intensification, deforestation and mining, cause damage to these fragile ecosystems.


The UN-Water Integrated Monitoring Initiative for SDG 6

The UN-Water Integrated Monitoring Initiative for SDG 6 supports countries in monitoring water- and sanitation-related issues within the framework of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and in compiling country data to report on global progress towards Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6. The 2020 Data Drive is part this Integrated Monitoring Initiative for Sustainable Development Goal 6 (IMI-SDG6) and involves countries collecting and reporting data on various SDG 6 indicators to multiple UN agencies.


SDG Indicator 6.3.2: "Proportion of bodies of water with good ambient water quality"

Target 6.3 sets out to improve ambient water quality – this page explains why and how to monitor progress towards the indicator 6.3.2 under this target, and what support that are available for countries to do so. Indicator 6.3.2 “Proportion of bodies of water with good ambient water quality” tracks the percentage of water bodies in a country with good ambient water quality. "Good ambient water quality"

Good ambient water quality

is water of a certain standard that flows in our rivers, lakes and aquifers without causing harm to human or ecosystem health. This explanation sounds straightforward but, in practice, it is complicated to define good ambient water quality.

Water quality varies constantly over space and time; for example, a measurement in a river one day may be different the next as a result of natural changes. This variability can sometimes make it difficult to determine whether water quality is in its natural state or is impacted by human activity. Also, although water quality criteria to maintain human health are relatively easy to define, aquatic ecosystems are much more diverse, and to define water quality that ensures the protection of the ecosystem is much more difficult. The third part of the problem is that there are thousands of substances that can be measured in freshwaters, and the effects of these on humans and ecosystems and how they interact with each other, is not fully understood

For indicator 6.3.2 overall water quality is estimated based on a core set of parameters which inform on major water quality impairments present in many parts of the world:

  • dissolved oxygen (surface water)
  • electrical conductivity (surface water and groundwater)
  • nitrogen/nitrate (surface water and groundwater)
  • phosphorus (surface water)
  • pH (surface water and groundwater)

The methodology calls for in-situ measurements of these water quality parameters. The measured values are compared to national target levels for the different parameters, and if values do not exceed the target level, the water body is classified as good.







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The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the custodian agency for SDG indicator 6.3.2 and the Global Environment Monitoring Programme for Freshwater (GEMS/Water) is the implementing partner. All of the Goal 6 indicators are coordinated by UN Water under the Integrated Monitoring Initiative for Goal 6 (IMI-SDG6)