GWP is committed to support countries in the monitoring and implementation of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 6, which is dedicated to water. With this aim, GWP, along with global partners, has initiated an SDG Support Programme (SDG6-SP).

SDG6-SP facilitates a coordinated approach to the monitoring and implementation of SDG 6.5 on Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM), in order to realize this and other water-related targets and goals. The SDG6-SP achieves this by supporting the official SDG monitoring and reporting processes, and by helping countries design and implement responses that directly promote measurable progress.

Coordinated by Global Water Partnership in close collaboration with UNEP-DHI Centre and Cap-Net UNDP, the SDG6-SP connects a unique blend of partners representing governments, civil society and the private sector. In the spirit of SDG 17 on Partnerships for the Goals, the SDG6-SP leverages partners’ knowledge, expertise, resources and networks to identify key needs and advance the SDGs in individual country contexts.

The overall goal of the SDG6-SP is to support countries in their commitment to the post-2015 Development Agenda through practical support for a rapid start to implementing SDG 6 and other water-related SDGs. The specific objectives are:

• To embed SDG 6 (and interlinked SDGs) into existing national policy and planning frameworks
• To support countries to access finance for implementation of the SDGs
• To support the establishment and strengthening of a national monitoring system for SDG 6 (and interlinked SDGs)
• To develop the capacity of national institutions to put in place the skills to plan and implement actions for SDG achievement
• To facilitate the strengthening of partnerships at national and transboundary level to enable a multi-stakeholder approach to SDG planning and monitoring

Building directly from the objectives above, the SDG6-SP is centred around three headline stages:

Stage 1 – Baseline Analysis

Strengthening SDG 6.5 national monitoring and reporting frameworks to identify critical areas for attention.

Stage 2 – Designing Responses

Assisting countries in formulating appropriate responses to water resources management challenges.

Stage 3 – Implementation

Supporting countries in implementing solutions aimed at achieving SDG 6.5.