Conserving and Restoring Water-Related Ecosystems World-Widely: Have We Met the 2020s the Benchmarks of the Sustainable Development Goal Six?

The sixth benchmark for the Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) was that by 2020 the world should be able to protect and restore all sorts of water-related ecosystems. This article looks at what it would have taken for the world to achieve that target at the end of 2020. After sketchily reviewing the current status of water across globe, the article concludes that the world’s waters are undergoing significant shifts and changes that will affect their geographical distribution, their intrinsic quality and their ecological functions. That made the achievement of the sixth benchmark of the SDG 6 could not have been possible by 2020; it also is why holistic and dedicated action is still needed to conserve what can be conserved and to restore the lost quality wherever that will be possible. The paper argues that even when action begins, the process will be long and needs continued efforts throughout several decades to come.