The SDGs are a global call to action to eradicate poverty, protect the natural environment, and ensure everyone lives in prosperity and peace. Asian countries to achieve the United Nations SDGs, particularly SDG 6 are concerned with providing all sanitation and water systems that are addressed sustainably. To evaluate a composite index (CI) for SDG 6 in Asia, data has been taken for water stress, basic drinking water, and sanitation facilities for 41 of the 48 Asian countries. According to the findings, the countries that scored highest in the assessment, such as Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Turkmenistan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Israel, and might be achieved SDG 6. Whereas the three countries (Cambodia, Afghanistan, and Timor- Lee) that showed low scores in both indicators of SDG6 also had lower overall points in the water and sanitation and water stress-related SDG Composite index. The SDGs provide a framework for sustainable development and guide policies and programs at the global, nationwide, and regional levels.
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Water is a basic need for sustainable development and the foundation of life and livelihood (Guppy et al., 2019). Water is crucial to functioning ecosystems, economic growth, energy, food production, livelihoods, and environmental sustainability. All people have access to sustainable sanitation and water management, according to UN SDG6 (Roy et al., 2019). Even though water is “essential to all life,” which includes humans and the environment, it is frequently overlooked, at least for those with convenient access to a reliable supply of it reasonably priced. SDG6 aims to mark water resources' value and long-term availability for environmental and human survival, drinkable water, hygiene, and sanitation facilities. The SDGs are framed as a “blueprint for a better and more sustainable future for all” and address various issues. The SDGs 2015, the world development goal, significantly emphasizes sustainable development and aims to address world issues and challenges through cooperative partnerships across and among United Nations members to balance the aspects of sustainable progress: social integration and ecological sustainability (FAO, 2017). The UN framed 17 SDGs and 169 targets in 2015, covering three primary components: environmental (like weather change and life on land and life below water), social (including gender equality, poverty, and hunger eradication, good institutions, economic growth), and economic (including economic growth, decent work and reducing inequality) (Sachs, 2012). The UN developed an indicators list (Tiers 1-3) for monitoring growth toward achieving SDGs goals to confirm that no country remains. The goals are intended to be achieved by 2030 and are designed to be incorporated and undivided so that growth on one aim frequently relies on growth on other targets. The min-max method was previously used to calculate the SDG Indicator, an agriculture-related SDG indicator, and Afro-barometer focused on gender empowerment (Nhamo et al., 2019). The research provides a tentative benchmark for monitoring growth towards meeting SDG6 in Asia, using available data on three components: access to basic facilities for accessing drinkable water, sanitation, and water stress. For evaluating CI for SDG 6 in Asia, data has been taken for Water stress, basic drinking water, and sanitation components for 41 of the 48 Asian countries. However, due to the unavailability of data, seven countries have not been considered in the study. The raw data has been used to determine the composite indices, and data are normalized by applying the min-max method, in which each index was rescaled from 0 to 100. It is crucial to have accurate indicators to track progress toward the goal. The world needs a reliable and standard baseline and monitoring system to achieve this goal. Kyrgyzstan's performance on the economic SDG ranked lowest among the three indicators of SDGs, and it urgently needed to be improved. Besides that, it was clear that Kazakhstan surpassed Kyrgyzstan regarding social SDG performance (Huan et al., 2019). Due to competing needs for resources and severe environmental stress, South Asian countries face rising difficulties in encountering the region's increasing demand for water, food, and energy (Rasul, G. 2016). However, one study carried out at the behest of the World Bank gave WASH a new perspective. By 2030, blended financing must achieve universal sanitation and water access (Leigland et al., 2016). The lowest water availability per person worldwide is found in the Pacific and Asia, which accounts for 36% of the global water resources. While the urban population of the Pacific and Asia is more than twice that between 1950 to 2000, causing an enormous consumption of wastewater and water treatment, approximately 50% of the region's rural population does not have basic sanitation facilities (ADB, 2016). The World Economic Forum (WEF) in 2015 drew attention to the increasing world apprehension regarding water resources, reflected in the SDGs. Although SDG6, named the 'Water Goal', directly targets water resources, the SDGs acknowledge that water significantly affects the overall development agenda (Ait-Kadi, 2016). The WHO Southeast Asia Region has significantly improved in providing affordable drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities in the past 20 as part of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Despite progress in WASH provision in the WHO Southeast Asia Region, arranging water quality and wastewater remains a significant task. It is due to the weak tracking initiatives in many regional countries (Hering, 2017). However, access to clean drinking water has improved across the region, despite some countries still struggling to provide adequate sanitation services to their population (Chakravarty et al., 2017). As per the UN (2018a), more than two billion people reside in countries where water stress is a significant concern, spanning all continents. Countries are considered to be under severe stress if their water stress levels are above 70%. Still, some nations, such as Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Kuwait, have water stress levels exceeding 100% and rely heavily on desalination to fulfill their water needs. While Singapore has become a leader in water resource management in Southeast Asia (McIntosh et al., 2014). The study examined the progress made in the 20 years regarding affordable drinking water and sanitation services. Data from the World Development Indicators has been gathered to evaluate the current status of Water and Sanitation-related SDGs in Asian countries. Firstly, it aimed to understand SDG 6 better, which focuses on safe water and sanitation facilities. Secondly, it aimed to identify trends in the availability of drinking water and sanitation facilities over 20 years and determine whether the countries examined in the study are on track to accomplish specific targets related to SDG 6 by the year 2030. The findings showed in the study offer a helpful understanding of the status quo development of Asian countries' Water & Sanitation-related SDGs.