The Urgent Need to Strengthen Water and Sanitation Regulatory Systems 

The world is off track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 targets. Rates of progress need to increase 5-6 fold to achieve safely managed drinking-water and sanitation for all. There is consensus that effective regulatory systems—including institutional frameworks, operational procedures, enforcement mechanisms, and adequate resourcing—are fundamental to service improvement, and sustainability. Countries with well-resourced and functional regulatory systems are more likely to be making progress towards their national drinking-water and sanitation targets (GLAAS 2022). 

 

Strengthening regulatory systems supports progressive realization of the human rights to water and sanitation and helps bring informal services under a regulatory umbrella. An underlying principle of regulation is universal access, and effective regulation is key to ensuring that water and sanitation services are provided safely, sustainably and equitably to all. Yet, many of the 2.2 billion consumers served by non-piped/small water supplies and decentralised sanitation solutions do not have the benefit of regulated services. Additionally, in many countries regulatory systems are under-resourced, both financially and in terms of human capital, or compromised by fragmented institutional or legislative arrangements. The UN System-wide Strategy for Water and Sanitation points, in output 4.5 to poor regulation, inter alia, to be at the root of poor water governance. There is, therefore, a clear need to strengthen regulatory systems to cover services currently not regulated, and also to improve the enabling environment for regulation and give it greater resilience. 

​

Improving water and sanitation regulatory systems is urgent and critical for progress. This Call to Action comes at a unique moment, with less than five years to achieve SDG6, for all stakeholders to adopt proactive, flexible, and inclusive approaches to strengthen regulatory systems everywhere.