Going Beyond Global Indicators—Policy Relevant Indicators for SDG 6 Targets in the Context of Austria

Verena Germann and Günter Langergraber
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Verena Germann: Institute of Sanitary Engineering and Water Pollution Control, Department of Water, Atmosphere and Environment, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), 1190 Vienna, Austria
Günter Langergraber: Institute of Sanitary Engineering and Water Pollution Control, Department of Water, Atmosphere and Environment, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), 1190 Vienna, Austria

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 3, 1-34

Abstract: Bringing forward sustainable transformation as envisioned within the Agenda 2030 requires comprehensive monitoring of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) formulated therein. To monitor and report progress on goal 6 on clean water and sanitation and its eight pertinent targets, 11 indicators were stipulated in an elaborated process. Yet, through continuous scientific and public scrutiny and debate several gaps and weaknesses were identified. Amongst others, these globally defined indicators are found to reflect weakly the diversity of national realities, capacities and levels of development. To translate the targets into national contexts and fully cover all aspects of the SDG 6 targets, the utilization of complementary indicators is recommended. Within this paper, following a critical appraisal of the SDG 6 indicators, possible complementary indicators are collected from literature and screened based on their quality, relevance for the national context and data availability. A deepened status quo of the SDG 6 targets and corresponding problem areas are outlined for the context of Austria, where water and sanitation infrastructure as well as regulation and governance of water bodies are widely established. Despite increasing the monitoring effort, it is concluded that complementary indicators are practicable to support coherent policy-making and ultimately contribute to the Agenda 2030’s aspiration that all countries take action.

Keywords: sustainable development goals; Agenda 2030; safe water and sanitation; monitoring; water management; national context (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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