ABSTRACT
Access to clean drinking water and sanitation, the most basic of needs, is still not universally provided within the Aral Sea Basin. This region can be characterised by limited water availability, poor water quality, and by overall uneven achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 6 ‘Clean Water and Sanitation’. This is demonstrated not only by each individual country’s progress but much more significantly by the contrast between urban and rural population. Many water-related issues of the Basin must be addressed jointly by all involved states, otherwise none can be fully resolved. The availability of water resources in the region could be improved through the implementation of a water–energy–food nexus concept and the promotion of water-efficient practices and cost-effective technologies. Regional as well as national strategies in the water sector are often developed with support from international organizations; however, most of them are not yet fully implemented. Additionally, the lack of reliable or sufficient data on some indicators is recognized as a pressing issue that must be addressed as soon as possible in order to ensure that SDG 6 will be met, as the progress cannot be properly monitored without accurate information.
