Performance of Consuming Clean Water in Sri Lanka as a Sustainable Development Goal

Abstract

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were introduced to Sri Lanka in 2015 by The United Nations with 17 goals. These goals are planned to achieve by 2030 and thereby the countries expect to achieve the sustainable development. The 6th goal of these SDGs is to ‘Ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all’ (Ministry of Sustainable Development, Wildlife and Regional Development, 2018). Clean water and sanitation goal is being achieved with 8 targets (World Health Organization & UNICEF, 2017). By 2011, in Sri Lanka this goal has been identified as a moderately improving goal which has major challenges. 50% of households in all the districts of Sri Lanka have covered with safe drinking water in 2016 ( Ministry of Sustainable Development, Wildlife and Regional Development, 2018). Previously, studies have been conducted regarding to water management in several areas in Sri Lanka in achieving sustainable development goals. Those studies are limited to small villages or small-scale water tanks in Sri Lanka. It will be an obstacle in identifying the overall status of this sixth goal and then this study focuses on whole districts in Sri Lanka. Further, the challenges and the solutions on this goal are paid attention un this study and it will be useful in overcome those challenges in future. Then this study is conducted with the problem of what are the trends of providing clean water in Sri Lanka.