Securing access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene is fundamental for human health and well-being. However, by 2030, billions of people could still lack these essential services unless progress is quadrupled. The increasing demand for water, propelled by rapid population growth, urbanization, and rising agricultural, industrial, and energy sector needs, has already surpassed population growth rates. Currently, half of the global population faces severe water scarcity for at least one month annually, and this scarcity is expected to escalate with the temperature rise due to climate change. Achieving universal access to safe and affordable drinking water by 2030 necessitates investments in infrastructure, sanitation facilities, and the protection and restoration of water-related ecosystems, alongside comprehensive hygiene education. Enhancing water-use efficiency is crucial for mitigating water stress. Encouragingly, progress has been made, as the proportion of the world's population with access to safely managed drinking water increased from 69 percent to 73 percent between 2015 and 2022.
Goal 14 focuses on the preservation and sustainable utilization of oceans, seas, and marine resources, emphasizing their vital role in sustaining human existence and life on Earth. The oceans, covering three-quarters of the Earth's surface and containing 97 percent of its water, constitute 99 percent of the living space on the planet by volume. Beyond their expansive reach, oceans supply crucial natural resources such as food, medicines, and biofuels, facilitate waste and pollution removal, and serve as protective buffers during storms. Functioning as the Earth's primary carbon sink, oceans play a pivotal role in global ecosystems. However, escalating marine pollution, particularly plastic waste, poses a severe threat, with projections indicating a potential doubling or tripling by 2040. Alarmingly, ocean acidity has risen by 30 percent since pre-industrial times, imperiling marine life, disrupting the food web, and compromising food security. Addressing these challenges requires heightened investment in ocean science, intensified conservation efforts, and urgent action against climate change to ensure the sustainability of this vast yet fragile resource – the planet's largest ecosystem. Current protective measures fall short of meeting the critical need to preserve this essential global asset.
Here are some library resources you can use if you are interested in delving more deeply into these and other related topics:
A Long Walk to Water by 
The Ocean Wise Cookbook 2 by 
Bottomfeeder : how to eat ethically in a world of vanishing seafood by 
Blue Water Cafe Seafood by 
The End of the Line by 
The blue planet by 
