Sustainable Development Goal
6

Clean Water and Sanitation

Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

Goal 6 Targets

6.1 By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all

6.2 By 2030, achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and end open defecation, paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations

6.3 By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater and substantially increasing recycling and safe reuse globally

6.4 By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity and substantially reduce the number of people suffering from water scarcity

6.5 By 2030, implement integrated water resources management at all levels, including through transboundary cooperation as appropriate

6.6 By 2020, protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes

6.A By 2030, expand international cooperation and capacity-building support to developing countries in water- and sanitation-related activities and programmes, including water harvesting, desalination, water efficiency, wastewater treatment, recycling and reuse technologies

6.B Support and strengthen the participation of local communities in improving water and sanitation management

Source: UN Sustainable Development

The Sustainable Development Goals in Zimbabwe

The United Nations in Zimbabwe, through the 2022–2026 Zimbabwe UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (ZUNSDCF), has been central to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by closely aligning international support with the country’s own development priorities. As the primary instrument for supporting national strategies such as National Vision 2030 to become upper-middle-income society—and National Development Strategies 1 and 2 (NDS12021-2025 and NDS2 2026-2030), the ZUNSDCF has helped translate these ambitions into concrete SDG results on the ground. In partnership with Government and Development Partners, the UN has localized the SDGs through local voluntary reviews and embedded six critical transitions—food systems, education, digital connectivity, energy access, jobs and social protection, and climate action—as SDG investment pathways at provincial and district levels. Support to national coordination mechanisms, including the SDG Steering Committee, has been complemented by stronger data and evidence systems, notably the development of 51 SDG-aligned indicators to guide and track implementation of the ZUNSDCF and national progress. To enhance coherence, synergy and impact, the UN in Zimbabwe has deliberately shifted towards joint programming as the predominant mode of delivery. By 2025, joint programmes accounted for more than half of all UN support, strengthening government leadership and policy coherence across sectors. Over the first four years of the Cooperation Framework (2022–2025), the UN mobilized US$2 billion against a total requirement of US$2.8 billion, with 54.4% of this funding delivered through more than 10 joint programmes. Flagship joint initiatives driving SDG acceleration include the Health Resilience Fund, the SDG Renewable Energy Fund, the Global Partnership for Education, and the Joint UN Spotlight Initiative, followed by Sustaining the Gains. These SDG-focused programmes are further underpinned by the UN Business Operations Strategy (BOS) 2022–2025, which has generated substantial efficiency gains through common back-office services. Between 2020 and 2025, the BOS achieved a cumulative cost avoidance of US$7.9 million—exceeding its target of US$7.2 million—and enhanced value for money across UN operations in Zimbabwe, enabling more resources to be directed towards achieving the SDGs.