Analysis of data collection and data evaluation for compliance with SDG 6

In 2016 the Sustainable Development Goals replaced the former Millennium Development Goals, building the new global agenda aiming for sustainable development at all three dimensions of sustainability by 2030. Within the set of global goals SDG 6 is devoted to development in the water and sanitation sector, including not only an improvement of access to drinking water and sanitation but also several other aspects, addressing the entire water cycle in a more comprehensive way as conducted by the MDGs. In order to monitor the development’s progress and thereby identify problems in implementation but also well-functioning approaches, new methodologies for monitoring the new SDG 6 indicators had to be developed. Currently, baseline reports on all indicators have been published, on the basis of which a first assessment of the current data availability can be made. The aim of this thesis is to provide an overview of the existing structures and methods for monitoring SDG 6 and to identify current challenges in monitoring as well as possible solutions. In addition, a comparison between the data collected for reporting to the Protocol on Water and Health and the data required for monitoring SDG 6 is conducted in order to find out whether common data use is sensible and already taking place.

The analysis of the existing monitoring activities shows that the greatest challenges causing data gaps are associated with the novelty of most indicators as well as their complexity. There are no conceptual problems concerning the indicator’s methodologies but rather challenging conditions that complicate data collection. A key element in increasing data availability within the next years is national capacity-building since national data builds the basis for monitoring the global indicators. In addition, the extent of data sources can be expanded for example by aligning national and regional initiatives with the global goals, enabling common monitoring efforts and thereby reducing the countries’ reporting burden. In this context, the Protocol on Water and Health can potentially increase data availability in the pan-European region. The comparison of the SDG 6 indicators and the current reporting template of the Protocol indicates that there are already aspects that require very similar data. However, slight modifications could enhance these overlaps and facilitate the common use of national monitoring capacity and collected data. The comparison of current country reports and the latest JMP progress reports suggests that several Parties of the Protocol do not fully exploit this potential.