how to INterPret the resULts ...................................................................... 5

IWRM is an approach that helps to balance competing water demands from across society and the economy, without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems. This is achieved through coordinated policy and regulatory frameworks, management arrangements and financing.

Everything is connected. Countless studies have argued that the only hope of attaining the SDGs is through an integrated approach that deals with the interconnected nature of the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development (Kroll, Warchold and Pradhan, 2019; Glass and Newig, 2019). SDG target 6.5, with its in-built integrated approach to water management, directly and intentionally supports the achievement of many other SDG targets – such as on health, agriculture, poverty, energy, climate, the environment, gender and peace – in a coordinated fashion that underpins sustainable development and leaves no one behind.

SDG target 6.5: “By 2030, implement integrated water resources management at all levels, including through transboundary cooperation as appropriate.”

Two indicators track progress towards the target, as a measure of sustainable water resources management:

• 6.5.1: Degree of integrated water resources management implementation (0–100)

5 Available at http://iwrmdataportal.unepdhi.org/. • 6.5.2: Proportion of transboundary basin area with an operational arrangement for water cooperation (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe [UNECE] and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization [UNESCO], 2021).

This report presents the global status and trends on IWRM implementation (indicator

6.5.1). It is part of a set of products to track progress and support countries in working towards target 6.5 – including country factsheets, country Action Plans and regional reports.5

Reporting on indicator 6.5.1 is based on a country survey, which typically involves extensive stakeholder consultations. Despite the effort required, countries have shown considerable commitment to working towards implementing IWRM in the context of the SDGs. This is demonstrated by the 186 countries reporting on the indicator since 2017 (Annex II), many of them hindered by the COVID-19 pandemic in conducting the necessary consultations (Box 1). This report attempts to bring their experiences and challenges to regional and global audiences, so that their efforts can be recognized and they can be supported in their mission to reach target 6.5.