06/2023
Sustainable Development Goals (6/17)
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
In this number...
The “Indicators of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” are an operation of the National Statistics Plan, which is prepared by the INE in collaboration with the statistical services of the ministries. Its results can be viewed at: https://www.ine.es/dyngs/ODS/en/index.htm.
By means of Goal 6 the countries undertake to ensure a sustainable management of water, its availability and sanitation for all. To this end, the global framework sets the following targets: 1) achieve universal and equitable access to safe drinking water at an affordable price for all; 2) achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene services for all, with special attention to vulnerable groups; 3) improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating discharges, and minimising the emission of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the percentage of untreated wastewater, and significantly increasing safe recycling and reuse globally; 4) significantly increase the efficient use of water resources in all sectors and ensure the sustainability of freshwater extraction and supply to address water scarcity and significantly reduce the number of people suffering from water deprivation; 5) implement integrated water resource management at all levels, including through transboundary cooperation; 6) protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including forests, mountains, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes; 7) expand international cooperation and capacity-building support to developing countries in water and sanitation activities and programmes; 8) support and strengthen the participation of local communities in improving water and sanitation management.
The global framework contains 11 indicators for the monitoring of goal 6. On the national indicators platform, 15 sub-indicators in respect of 7 global indicators have been published. This represents a coverage rate of 64%.
Bathing water quality on the coasts of Spain and the EU
The indicator Bathing sites with excellent water quality is used to monitor sustainable management of water and sanitation for all, in addition to the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans, seas and marine resources for development.
Bathing water quality is evaluated in accordance with the standards of microbiological parameters. Since 2008, the Ministry of Health has managed and operated the National Bathing Water Information System (NAYADE), prepares annual national reports for public information and annual reports, with the classification of bathing areas, for the European Commission.
In 2021, the percentage of coastal bathing sites with excellent water quality in the European Union (EU-27) was 88.3%; This represented an increase of 1.3 percentage points compared to 2015, when it stood at 87.0%.
The EU-27 countries that recorded the highest percentages of this indicator in 2021 were Croatia (99.2%), Malta (96.6%) and Greece (95.8%). At the other end of the scale were Poland (43.5%), Estonia (53.3%) and Finland (66.7%).
Spain ranked fifth in 2021 with 94.9% of coastal sites with excellent water quality, having experienced a growth of 7.8 percentage points in the 2015-2021 period.
Did you know…
the percentage of indoor bathing areas with excellent water quality was 78.2% in the EU-27 in 2021, compared with 53.1% in Spain?
Water quality in rivers and ground water
The Water Framework Directive establishes a framework for Community action in the field of water policies and has as its fundamental aspect the status and quality of water bodies. Under the global indicator 6.3.2 Proportion of water bodies of good quality, six sub-indicators on the water quality of rivers and groundwater are disseminated.
The data comes from the statistical operation “Monitoring the State of Surface Waters” and from different administrative records, all of which are the responsibility of the Ministry of Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge.
During the period 2015-2021, the subindicator 6.3.2.4. Proportion of groundwater monitoring stations reported with nitrate concentration less than 50 mg NO3/l has decreased by 4.1 percentage points, from 76.4% in 2015 to 72.3% in 2021.
Subindicator 6.3.2.5. Proportion of river monitoring stations with phosphate concentration less than 0.20 mg P-PO4/l has also decreased, from 86.1% in 2015 to 76.6% in 2021.
Meanwhile, the Proportion of river stations reported with biochemical oxygen demand at 5 days (mg BOD5/l) below 10mg/l (6.3.2.6.) stood at 98.5% in 2021, a decrease of 0.6 percentage points.
The National System of water for Public Consumption in Spain
Since 2008, the Ministry of Health has managed and operated the National Drinking Water Information System (SINAC), prepares annual national reports for public information and periodic reports for the European Commission.
The data source for indicator 6.1.1.1. Percentage of population receiving supply with Coverage from the National System of Water for Public Consumption is the statistic Quality of Water for Public Consumption.
In 2020 84.1% of the Spanish population received supply with coverage from the National System of Water for Public Consumption. This means a decrease of 1.9 points from 2015, when the percentage was 86.0%. (1)
The three autonomous communities with the largest percentages in 2020 were Castilla y León, with 98.6%, Región de Murcia with 96.4% and La Rioja, with 94.1%. Meanwhile, the three communities that recorded the lowest percentages were Illes Balears (60.1%), Galicia (71.5%) and Aragon (74.4%).
(1) It must be taken into account that the Supply Zones (ZAs) that supply areas with fewer than 50 inhabitants or that supply less than 10 m3 of water per day, are excluded from the scope of application of RD 140/2003 (legislation in force in those years indicated) so SINAC will not cover 100% of the population included in the National Institute of Statistics (INE) even if all the ZAs included in the scope of application are reported.
Volume of wastewater in Spain
The indicator 6.3.1.2. Total volume of wastewater is a proxy variable of the global indicator 6.3.1. Proportion of domestic and industrial wastewater flows safely treated.
Wastewater is water whose original characteristics have been modified by human activities and which, due to their quality, require prior treatment, before being reused, discharged into a natural body of water or discharged into the sewerage system. There are different types of wastewater. The main ones are: urban, domestic and industrial.
In 2021 the total volume of wastewater was 21,443.67 cubic hectometres, while in 2015 it was 27,815.5 cubic hectometres, which means a decrease of 23%.
Measuring progress on Goal 6
Progress in Spain on the SDG 6 subindicators is presented, distinguishing between short-term progress (the latest year available in comparison with the previous year) and medium-term progress (since 2015, i.e. the baseline year). In both cases the compound annual growth rate has been used.
For indicators with positive normative direction (increases are desirable) we have: growth rates greater than or equal to 0.5% are considered progress (), rates in the range [0% - 0.5%) slight progress (
), rates in the range [-0.5% - 0) slight decline (
) and for rates less than -0.5%, a decline (
). For indicators that do not evolve,
is used.
For indicators with a negative normative direction, the categories are reversed.
Among the 15 sub-indicators shown in the table, in the medium term, seven of them are progressing favourably, one shows slight progress, four are regressing and three cannot be assessed due to insufficient data.
The subindicators 6.b.1.1 and 6.b.1.2 have been taken as favourable progress as they both recorded the maximum possible value (100%) during the period.
| Subindicator | Unit | Last year |
Last year’s figure | Medium-term progress |
Short term progress (last two years) |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.1.1.1. Percentage of population receiving supply with coverage from the National System of Water for Public Consumption | Percentage | 2020 | 84.1 | -0.4% | -0.1% | ||
| 6.2.1.1. Percentage of total Spanish pollutant load corresponding to populations greater than 2000 equivalent inhabitants connected to a collector system in accordance with Art. 3 of Directive 91/271 / EEC on urban wastewater | Percentage | 2016 | 97 | n.d. | 0.1% | ||
| 6.3.1.1. Percentage of total Spanish pollutant load corresponding to populations greater than 2000 equivalent inhabitants that adequately treat urban wastewater in accordance with Article 4 of Directive 91/271/EEC on urban wastewater | Percentage | 2016 | 81.25 | n.d. | -4.3% | ||
| 6.3.1.2. Total volume of wastewater | Cubic hectometres | 2021 | 21,443.67 | -4.2% | 11.4% | ||
| 6.3.2.1. Surface Water rivers and lakes with good or above good ecological status | Percentage | 2019 | 56 | 7.8% | n.d. | ||
| 6.3.2.2. Surface Water rivers and lakes with good or above good chemical status | Percentage | 2019 | 89 | 11.5% | n.d. | ||
| 6.3.2.3. Groundwater bodies with good overall status | Percentage | 2019 | 89 | 12.3% | n.d. | ||
| 6.3.2.4. Proportion of groundwater monitoring stations reported with nitrate concentration less than 50 mg NO3/l | Percentage | 2021 | 72.29 | -0.9% | -4.7% | ||
| 6.3.2.5. Proportion of river monitoring stations with phosphate concentration less than 0.20 mg P-PO4/l | Percentage | 2021 | 76.57 | -1.9% | 0.6% | ||
| 6.3.2.6. Proportion of stations in rivers reported with biochemical oxygen demand at 5 days (mg BOD5/l) less than 10mg/l | Percentage | 2021 | 98.47 | -0.1% | 1.5% | ||
| 6.4.2.1. Water Exploitation Index (WEI)+annual average in the Spanish territory | Percentage | 2015 | 20.6 | n.d. | n.d. | ||
| 6.a.1.1. Volume of official gross development assistance for water and sanitation that forms part of a government-coordinated spending plan. Gross ODA | Millionsof euros | 2020 | 24.36 | 0.5% | 25.4% | ||
| 6.a.1.2. Volume of official net development assistance for water and sanitation that forms part of a government-coordinated spending plan. Net ODA | Millions of euros | 2020 | 18.7 | 7.4% | -3.7% | ||
| 6.b.1.1. Proportion of local administrative units that have established operational policies and procedures for participation of local communities in the sanitation and management of water for public consumption/td> | Percentage | 2020 | 100 | ||||
| 6.b.1.2. Proportion of local administrative units that have established operational policies and procedures for participation of local communities management of water for bathing | Percentage | 2020 | 100 |
(*) Indicators and sub-indicators with a value of 100% every year: despite not having a growth rate, they can be considered as progressing.
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