The UN explains: "Clean water is a basic human need and one that should be easily accessible to all. There is sufficient fresh water on the planet to achieve this. However, due to poor infrastructure, investment, and planning, every year millions of people — most of them children — die from diseases associated with inadequate water supply, sanitation, and hygiene."

The UN has defined 8 Targets and 11 Indicators for SDG 6. Targets specify the goals and Indicators represent the metrics by which the world aims to track whether these Targets are achieved. Below we quote the original text of all Targets and show the data on the agreed Indicators.

How is the world doing on this goal?

The Clean Seas campaign works with governments, businesses, and citizens to eliminate the needless use of disposable plastics in order to protect our rivers, seas, and the ecosystems which sustain life on earth and our very well-being. The campaign, which is technically rooted in the long-standing work of UNEP and the Global Partnership on Marine Litter, focuses on increasing ambition for policies that will reduce pollution and build circular economies, encouraging innovation in supply chain and waste management, and on inspiring individual behavior change to send important signals to business and government that this is a priority that we all care about.