Universal Water Access: A Goal Still Far From Reality.

Despite bold global commitments, universal access to clean water and sanitation remains far from reality. While official statistics claimed dramatic progress under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), recent analysis reveals a more sobering truth.
Recent research by Tortajada and Biswas (2018) shows that global data used to measure access was flawed, focusing on “improved sources” rather than actual water quality or reliability. As a result, over 1.8 billion people still consume water contaminated with fecal matter, and many sanitation services fail to include proper wastewater treatment.
Here are 4 takeaways:

Baseline indicators were misleading:
The MDGs (Millennium Development Goals – the UN’s global development agenda from 2000 to 2015) often overstated access by ignoring contamination, seasonal availability, and infrastructure failure.
Academia must step up:
Researchers have largely remained silent about data inaccuracies, missing the chance to reshape policy and accountability.
The rural-urban divide persists:
While urban areas see modest gains, rural and marginalized communities, including indigenous populations in Canada, remain underserved.
Solutions must go beyond infrastructure:
Equity, political will, long-term funding, and local ownership are key to delivering safe, sustainable water systems.

At PROSDOMA, we believe access to clean water is a basic human right, not a development milestone to check off. From empowering local communities in Africa to supporting water justice for underserved populations in Canada, we act where data fails and dignity matters.
Join us: prosdoma.org
by E.D.
Source: Tortajada, C., & Biswas, A. K. (2018). Achieving universal access to clean water and sanitation in an era of water scarcity: strengthening contributions from academia. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 34, 21–25. https://lnkd.in/dkRMbBD4