Achieving SDG 6 requires moving beyond technology-led solutions toward systemic change in water management and use. Drawing on lessons from the Global South and the work of TIPC members and hubs, this blog by Dana Hunka and Viktoriia Krytska highlights the importance of participatory tools and governance for fairer and more resilient water futures.
Water security is increasingly under threat from climate change, urbanisation, ageing infrastructure, and inequitable governance. To achieve universal and equitable access to water, as envisioned in United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6 (UN SDG 6), requires a shift from fragmented, technology-led interventions to holistic, socially inclusive, and science-engaged innovation ecosystems.
Although water scarcity has historically been framed as a challenge affecting the Global South, the accelerating impacts of climate change are increasingly intensifying water-related risks worldwide (UN-Water, 2021). The pressures on water availability, combined with ageing infrastructure, urbanisation, and inequitable governance, are exposing water insecurity as a shared global challenge.
Socially grounded innovation solutions have emerged in Global South contexts. These offer critical learning opportunities for rethinking governance, innovation, and participation in the Global North, where existing approaches are often misaligned with the requirements of a sustainable and just future.
Framing the water insecurity challenge
Access to safe water is a fundamental human right, and yet according to the 2021 WHO and UNICEF report over 2.2 billion people globally lack safely managed drinking water services. Increasing population, economic development, and climate change are exacerbating water scarcity, pollution, and flood risks. Despite efforts to expand access, current approaches remain siloed and reactive, often failing to address the root causes of the problem.
The impacts of accelerating water insecurity are most visible in regions vulnerable to water stress, where annual water demand can exceed available water resources. This is especially evident in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia, which remain among the most water-stressed regions globally.
The drivers of water insecurity are complex and interconnected. Climate variability increases the frequency and severity of droughts and floods. Rapid population growth and urbanisation place growing demands on ageing infrastructure. Governance systems are often fragmented and exclude community participation. Furthermore, technological lock-ins, where existing technologies, often relying on carbon-intensive and aging infrastructures, become so embedded in a system that it becomes very hard to shift to adaptive and locally relevant alternatives. These factors contribute to policy challenges, making it difficult to determine where and how to intervene effectively.
Drivers are not limited to traditionally water-stressed regions. In England, for example, the Environment Agency estimates that, without urgent action, the country could face a shortfall of nearly 5 billion liters of water per day by 2055.
Systemic responses to water insecurity through Transformative Innovation Policy
TIP supports a shift from linear, technology-centric models toward holistic innovation ecosystems. This involves system mapping to identify leverage points and root causes, social learning to foster collective intelligence, and defining transformative outcomes that align innovation with sustainability and equity goals.
A core vehicle is the development and use of transformative theories of change – structured, evidence-based frameworks designed to guide policy through the design, implementation, and evaluation of interventions, tailored directly to specific local contexts. In doing so, TIPC promotes context-sensitive, collaborative processes for systemic change and recognises the complexity of water systems.
Achieving universal and equitable water access requires moving beyond narrowly focused, technology-centric solutions to holistic, socially inclusive interventions that acknowledge the links between water security challenges and climate resilience, food security, biodiversity, public health, and social justice.
Water security encompasses much more than mere supply. It involves reliable access to safe water for households, agriculture, and industry, protection from water-related hazards like flooding and drought, preservation of ecological systems through sustained wetlands and biodiversity and equitable governance that includes diverse voices and values.
Case studies: Transforming water governance around the world
Case studies from the Global South can offer important lessons on the application of TIP and social innovation to address these challenges, with implications for improving water systems worldwide.
Community water governance in Kenya
In semi-arid regions of Kenya, local communities have developed water-sharing agreements and rainwater harvesting systems rooted in indigenous knowledge. These initiatives have improved water access and strengthened social cohesion through the active inclusion of women and elders in governance processes (UNESCO, 2022). This locally grounded model illustrates the transformative dimensions in practice – technological innovation in rainwater systems, participatory governance structures, and the cultural revival of traditional water management techniques.
Catchment resilience in South Africa
In South Africa, the Living Catchments project demonstrates how a systemic and participatory theory of change can support resilience and inclusive water governance. Inputs such as stakeholder workshops and ecosystem investments are translated into co-created action plans and local training programmes. This approach exemplifies alignment with SDG 6 and supports the shift toward holistic water security (Living Catchments Project/ TIPC, 2021).
Decentralised innovation in Colombia
In the Andean highlands of Colombia, rural villages have implemented de-centralised water systems powered by renewable energy. These efforts were supported by educational campaigns and local planning bodies, enhancing community autonomy and climate resilience (OECD, 2020). This example illustrates the integration of social empowerment, economic self-reliance, and inclusive governance.
Practical tools for planning and learning from interventions
Achieving SDG 6 demands a radical rethink of how we innovate for water, placing justice, participation, and ecological balance at the center. To move beyond fragmented interventions, water systems must be approached through integrated, co-produced, and transformative practices. Innovations from the Global South offer Learning from diverse contexts is important to gain valuable insights for new governance models and community-led resilience.
Tools and resources developed by TIPC’s members, reserach team and hubs in Africa, Europe and Latin America can support policymakers and communities in navigating complexity and co-designing sustainable futures.
For example, the Pentagonal mapping framework highlights the interlocking technological, governance, economic, cultural, and social dimensions shaping water security solutions. This systems-based approach helps reveal the critical barriers and enablers that determine whether transformative innovations can be scaled and sustained in support of SDG 6.
Water is not merely a resource but a shared public good, essential for life and dignity. To achieve the aspirations of SDG 6, we must go beyond infrastructural fixes and address the systemic roots of water insecurity. This requires learning from a range of actors and countries.
Dana Hunka and Viktoriia Krytska are students at the University of Sussex who have written this piece in collaboration as part of their roles as Student Policy and Communications Assistants at TIPC.