961 million people gained access to safely managed drinking water between 2015 and 2024. This notable progress increased global coverage from 68% to 74%, relegating to the background the dramatic figure of 2.1 billion individuals still deprived of safe water. Analysis of winning strategies reveals concrete levers to accelerate the global catch-up.
The positive dynamic masked by absolute numbers
The 2.1 billion people without safe water access dominate headlines, but this static snapshot hides a rapid transformation. Between 2015 and 2024, global coverage progressed by 6 percentage points, a rate of 0.7 points per year. At this pace, universal access could be achieved around 2055, well before pessimistic projections that targeted 2080.
This acceleration is explained by three converging factors. First, FAO estimates that irrigated lands will increase by 34% by 2030 while water usage will only increase by 14%, thanks to improved management and irrigation practices, freeing up considerable volumes for domestic use. Next, investments in urban infrastructure have significantly increased in sub-Saharan Africa. Finally, 127 transboundary cooperation agreements have been signed since 2015, compared to 42 in the previous decade.
Ethiopia illustrates this transformation. Global coverage of safely managed drinking water rose from 68% in 2015 to 74% in 2024, testifying to remarkable progress. This global improvement results from coordinated programs combining deep boreholes, decentralized treatment stations, and local technician training. Annual investments dedicated to water have significantly increased in many countries.
Agriculture revolutionizes its consumption
Agriculture absorbs 70% of global freshwater, but this share is declining thanks to efficiency gains. Drip irrigation is rapidly developing worldwide. New agricultural technologies, guided by sensors and satellites, enable substantial water savings while maintaining yields.
This gradual transformation frees up massive volumes. In India, agricultural efficiency gains have enabled reallocation of considerable volumes to domestic use since 2015. In Brazil, soybean cultivation optimization has freed the equivalent of millions of inhabitants’ consumption.
Technologies play a determining role. According to FAO, areas developed for irrigation will increase by 20% (40 million hectares) by 2030 in developing countries, with increased water efficiency. Artificial intelligence optimizes irrigation across many territories, mainly in California, Australia, and Israel. These innovations, long confined to rich countries, are rapidly spreading to emerging economies thanks to falling technological costs.
Cities become innovation laboratories
Rapid urbanization paradoxically transforms water management. Cities concentrate needs but also solutions. Israel reuses approximately 80-90% of its treated wastewater, ranking among the countries with the world’s highest reuse rate. Cape Town reduced its consumption by 50% in three years after the 2017-2018 crisis, proving the feasibility of rapid transformations.
Smart networks multiply. Barcelona equips 380,000 connected meters, reducing leaks by 25%. Amsterdam uses sensors to detect breaks in real time, dividing network losses by three. These technologies, initially costly, are becoming accessible: IoT sensor prices have dropped by 70% since 2015.
Urban innovation goes beyond the technological framework. Mexico City has created 1,200 rain gardens that capture 15 million liters during storms. Melbourne requires rainwater collection for any building over 500 m². These nature-based solutions cost 60% less than conventional infrastructure while offering environmental co-benefits.
Fragile areas find their solutions
The 2.1 billion people still deprived of safe water are concentrated in 47 fragile or conflict-affected countries. This geography of scarcity reveals that water access depends as much on institutions as on natural resources. Yemen has important groundwater reserves but conflict prevents their exploitation. The Democratic Republic of Congo possesses 23% of African freshwater reserves but only 51% of its population has access.
Solutions are emerging nonetheless, even in these difficult contexts. In Mali, village cooperatives manage 3,500 water points, maintaining an 85% functionality rate compared to 40% for public infrastructure. In Afghanistan, autonomous solar wells supply 200,000 people despite political instability.
Decentralization emerges as a resilience strategy. Solar mini-networks, costing $15,000 for 500 people, function independently of failing national networks. The NGO WaterAid has installed 12,000 decentralized systems since 2015, reaching 8 million people in 34 fragile countries.
Financing finds new models
The estimated annual cost of financing needed to achieve SDG 6 is $114 billion per year between 2015 and 2030, but this sum is decreasing thanks to innovative mechanisms that are multiplying: blue bonds, public-private partnerships, crowdfunding. The Water.org initiative has mobilized $4 billion in microcredit since 2015, enabling 57 million people to install domestic connections.
Technological costs are falling rapidly. Solar desalination now costs $0.53 per cubic meter compared to $2.50 in 2015. Modular treatment stations, mass-produced, cost 40% less than five years ago. This technological deflation accelerates deployment in middle-income countries.
The economic profitability of water access is becoming clearer. Each dollar invested generates a return of $4.30 according to WHO, mainly through reduced health costs and increased productivity. This favorable economic equation attracts private investors: private financing for water has tripled since 2015, reaching $12 billion in 2024.
A global acceleration underway
The 961 million beneficiaries between 2015 and 2024 outline the contours of possible acceleration. This progress, equivalent to India’s population, results from reproducible strategies: agricultural efficiency, urban innovation, decentralized solutions, and innovative financing.
The objective of universal water access by 2030, inscribed in the SDGs, remains out of reach at the current pace. But the 961 million new beneficiaries prove that catch-up accelerates when good strategies converge. The challenge of the next five years will be to deploy these levers on a large scale, particularly in the 47 fragile countries that concentrate most of the 2.1 billion people still deprived of safe water.