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SDG 06 - Clean Water and Sanitation
Indicator 6.4.2 - Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources

The level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources is the ratio between total freshwater withdrawn by major economic sectors and total renewable freshwater resources, after taking into account environmental water requirements. This indicator is also known as water withdrawal intensity and will measure progress towards SDG Target 6.4.

Target 6.4

By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity and substantially reduce the number of people suffering from water scarcity.

Indicator 6.4.2: Progress Assessment
Impact

This indicator will improve knowledge on the efficiency and sustainability of water usage. Together with indicator 6.4.1, it will provide vital information to ensure that water resources support the world's ecosystems and continue to be available for future generations.

Key results

Water stress globally, despite a slight increase by 0.2 percentage points since 2015, remained at a safe level of 18.2 percent in 2020, but with large regional variations.

At the global level, water stress remains at a safe level of 18.2 percent in 2020. However, this masks substantial regional variations, and represents a 1.2 percent rise since 2015. In 2020, water stress levels ranged from high in Southern Asia and Central Asia to critical in Northern Africa. The situation in Northern Africa is particularly concerning, because not only is it the only subregion registering a critical level of water stress over 100 percent (meaning that more freshwater is being withdrawn that renewable freshwater resources are available); it also registered an alarming increase by 15 percentage points in water stress levels between 2015 to 2020.

Highlights
Elearning
SDG Indicator 6.4.2 - Level of water stress
01/08/2023

This course provides tools, methods and processes to support countries in monitoring and reporting on 

E-learning courses on SDG indicators (with digital badge certification)
01/05/2023

Multimedia

SDG 6 – Indicators of water use efficiency and water stress

An overview of SDG indicators 6.4.1 and 6.4.2, measuring water use efficiency and water stress.

01/01/2019

Capacity development

Disaggregation of the SDG 6.4.2 indicator at sub-basin level in Peru
15/07/2024 - 19/07/2024

The IMI-SDG6 team and the National Water Authority (ANA) Peru have started a new collaboration on implementing the disaggregation of the SDG 6.4.2...

Gender contextualization of SDG 6 in Senegal: finalization workshop (Dakar, Senegal)
22/04/2024 - 24/04/2024

The finalization workshop of the Gender contextualization of SDG 6 in Senegal in Dakar from Monday 22 to Wednesday 24 April 2024. The workshop...

Training workshop: Spatial disaggregation of SDG 6.4.2 on level of water stress - Senegal river basin
15/04/2024

Improving water monitoring and management through the use of the water stress plugin for WEAP.

Multi-stakeholder workshop: Monitoring and Reporting of SDG 6.4 target (water use and scarcity) in the Near East and North Africa region
13/12/2023 - 14/12/2023

FAO is hosting a multi-stakeholder workshop on SDG 6.4 target (water use and scarcity) in the Near East and North Africa region.

Regional workshop on SDG 6.4 target (water use and scarcity) in Latin America and the Caribbean
29/11/2023 - 01/12/2023

FAO is hosting a regional workshop on SDG 6.4 target (water use and scarcity) in Latin America and the Caribbean on November 29 and 30, and December...

SDG 6 gender contextualization: country consultation webinars (EN, FR, SP)
14/11/2023 - 16/11/2023

Webinars for promoting gender contextualization of the SDG 6 global Indicators

Monitoring and Reporting of SDG 6.4 target (water use and scarcity) in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs) - Cabo Verde
18/07/2023 - 20/07/2023

FAO organized a workshop on SDG 6.4 target (water use and scarcity) in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries...

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Hybrid Event

FAO Side Event "Disaggregation of the SDG indicator 6.4.2 (level of water stress) by river basin" at the UN 2023 Water Conference
24/03/2023

This event showcased a few innovative methods to disaggregate water stress (SDG 6.4.2) and its components at catchment and river basin level, through...

Virtual Event

The spatial disaggregation of the SDG 6.4.2 (level of water stress) by river basin
03/10/2022

The webinar titled "The spatial disaggregation of the SDG 6.4.2 (level of water stress) by river basin", which was organized by the FAO Technical...

Hybrid Event

Interactive regional training course on SDG 6.4 indicators (in Portuguese)
21/06/2022 - 30/06/2022

FAO Integrated Monitoring Initiative for SDG 6 (IMI-SDG6), in collaboration with AQUASTAT and the Office of the Chief Statistician, organized a regional...

Virtual Event

Formation en ligne sur les indicateurs de l'ODD 6.4 (Afrique francophone)
18/02/2021 - 18/03/2021

La FAO (IMI-SDG6 - Initiative pour le suivi intégré de l’ODD 6 en collaboration avec AQUASTAT*) tient, du 18 février au 18 mars 2021, une formation...

Virtual Event

Interactive regional training course on SDG 6.4 indicators
12/11/2020 - 10/12/2020

The goal of this workshop organized by FAO was to bring together technical experts and statisticians to help with the methodology work for SDG Indicators...

Addis Ababa (Ethiopia)

Workshop on SDG indicators 6.4.1 and 6.4.2 for Eastern Africa
15/10/2019 - 18/10/2019

The goal of this workshop organized by FAO was to bring together technical experts and statisticians to help with the methodology work for SDG Indicators...

Almaty (Kazakhstan)

Workshop on SDG indicators 6.4.1 and 6.4.2 for Central Asia
08/10/2019

The goal of this workshop organized by FAO was to bring together technical experts and statisticians to help with the methodology work for SDG Indicators...