Sustainable Development Goals

The 2030 deadline for achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is approaching rapidly. Within the wider SDG context, development in water-related areas require solutions, innovations and investments, alongside an ability to develop capacity. IHE Delft aims to make a tangible contribution to achieving all SDGs in which water is key, including SDG 6: ‘Clean Water and Sanitation’. We contribute by creating synergies in education, applied research and institutional strengthening.

In 2015, UN member states adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which includes 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 associated targets that aim to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. Development is considered sustainable when it meets present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

The SDGs take a comprehensive approach to sustainable development and emphasize not only economic growth, but also social inclusion and environmental protection. They call for action by all countries - low, middle, and high-income alike - to promote inclusive prosperity while protecting the planet.

The SDGs recognize that efforts to end poverty require strategies that build economic growth and address social needs such as education, equality, health, social protection and job opportunities, while also tackling climate change and environmental protection. The goals also focus on the mobilization of financial resources, capacity development and technology, as well as data and institutions.

Though all goals involve water in some way, one of the goals - SDG6 – focuses on the topic by calling for universal access to water and sanitation. This goal and its eight targets address water in a holistic manner. The targets range from access to clean water and sanitation services to the water quality of rivers and health of water-related ecosystems; from the efficient use of water to the treatment and use of wastewater, and from better water management to better water governance and participation and capacity development.

Water influences all policies and actions that are at the core of sustainable development, and failing to address water-related challenges puts progress in all SDGs at risk. In 2021, UN-Water published a Summary Progress Update on SDG6, noting that significant acceleration is needed to meet the goal by 2030.

IHE Delft works to develop capacity in the water and related sectors at individual, organizational and institutional levels. It works through education, research and innovation, and institutional strengthening. These activities target all countries in need that seek to better understand, address, and eventually solve local water-related problems. In addition, IHE Delft facilitates changes that have a lasting development impact by strengthening the knowledge base through research, by supporting changes in behaviours by organizations and individuals, and by supporting policy reforms.

IHE Delft contributes to SDG6 through education and research on relevant topics, including technical knowledge, water governance and knowledge management. The MSc programme in Water for Sustainable Development addresses all water issues across the spectrum of SDG6 targets.

In addition, IHE Delft conducts research and institutional strengthening projects that support areas related to SDG6. Examples include:

Joint training courses in Humanitarian Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) with UNICEF
A water accounting and productivity project that uses the innovative water accounting concept and remote sensing to support the monitoring of progress towards SDG 6.4 on water use and scarcity. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a project partner.
The NEXOGENESIS project, which focuses on the Water, Energy, Food, and Ecosystems (WEFE) nexus and supports the development of policies that manage resources effectively.

The I-CISK project, which taps into the potential of end-user support to tackle climate adaptation and mitigation.
Support to Iraq as it strengthens its water sector institutions to improve water management
Four Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters, funded by the European Commission (EC), on topics such as ground water management, flood risk management, environmental technology and coastal hazards.

In addition, IHE Delft cooperates closely with UNESCO in supporting the SDG6 agenda, including as a key partner in UN-Water’s Capacity Development Initiative.

IHE Delft aims to make a tangible contribution to achieving all Sustainable Development Goals in which water is key, including SDG 6: ‘Water and Sanitation for all’. It’s not only about reaching the SDGs itself- but about doing so in a sustainable manner. This means that the solutions and innovations that we collectively introduce now must be durable and flexible enough to work under rapidly changing conditions of population growth, urbanization and climate change.

SDG2 - Zero Hunger: Through water accounting projects and education, IHE Delft, together with FAO and other partners, supports the improvement of water productivity in agriculture. For example, the NEXOGENESIS project enables research to be conducted on the Water, Energy, Food and Ecosystems nexus.

SDG11 - Sustainable cities and communities: IHE Delft’s education and research focuses on resilience and disaster risk reduction, which are key to sustainable cities. We also support nature-based solutions in urban environments, for example through the EC-funded RECONECT project. Furthermore, the Institute supports partnerships to address climate-resilient city planning, design and governance.

SDG13 - Climate action: IHE Delft supports climate adaptation, including through participation in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and contributions to the panel’s report s. IHE Delft is one of the founding members of the Climate Adaptation Academy and holds a chair in Climate Risks in Coastal areas funded by the AXA research fund. IHE Delft also is part of the Water and Climate coalition led by the World Meteorological Organization.

SDG16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions: IHE Delft is the lead partner in the Water Peace and Security (WPS) programme, which is funded by the Dutch government, the German Development Agency GIZ and other donors.

SDG17 - Partnerships for the goals: IHE Delft builds and strengthens partnerships across the globe to address the global water problems. The Water and Development Partnership Programme aims to build sustainable partnerships related to education, research and capacity development. Also supporting this goal is IHE Delft’s work to strengthen citizen science, for example in water management. A growing body of evidence indicates that active participation of communities and citizens is instrumental in monitoring and achieving the SDGs. For example, the Groundtruth 2.0 project supported and strengthened local community participation in environmental monitoring by setting up citizen observatories in the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Sweden, Kenya and Zambia.