"A dedicated goal for water has recently been endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly as part of the sustainable development goal (SDG) framework. This study provides an assessment of the global costs of meeting the WASH-related targets of Goal no. 6. The targets assessed include achieving universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all (target 6.1), achieving access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all, and ending open defecation (target 6.2). The estimates include 140 countries, or 85% of the world's population, focusing on developing countries. Costs estimated cover those of capital investment, program delivery, operations, and major capital maintenance.
Three main findings are as follows:
1. Extending basic WASH services to the unserved costs US$ 28.5 billion per year from 2015 to 2030, or 0.10% of global product. This financing requirement is equivalent, in orders of magnitude, to the 0.12% global capital spending to serve
