Central and Southern Asia

Countries (and areas) in the region

Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan

Land

Total area: ---
Land area: 10,333,298 km² (2023)
Land use by sector: 59% agriculture, 11% forest and 30% other (2023)

People

Total population: 2,145,130,649 people (2024)
Population density: 340 people per km² (2022)
Urbanisation: 38 % lives in urban areas and 62 % lives in rural areas (2024)

Economy

Total GDP: 20,620,242,607,712 USD per year (2023 - 2024)
GDP per capita: 9,613 USD per year (2023 - 2024)
Value added by sector: 16% from agriculture, 50% from services and 26% from industry (2023 - 2024)

The above data are estimates based on the latest available data for all countries (and areas) in the region. The estimates are not adjusted for potentially missing or outdated country (and area) data.

SDG 6 snapshot Central and Southern Asia

Drinking water
--- % of the population in Central and Southern Asia uses a safely managed drinking water service (SDG indicator 6.1.1, 2024)
Sanitation
--- % of the population in Central and Southern Asia uses a safely managed sanitation service (SDG indicator 6.2.1a, 2024)
Hygiene
--- % of the population in Central and Southern Asia has a handwashing facility with soap and water available at home (SDG indicator 6.2.1b, 2024)
Wastewater
28 % of domestic wastewater in Central and Southern Asia is safely treated (2024), but insufficient data to assess industrial wastewater treatment in the region (SDG indicator 6.3.1)
Water quality
33 % of monitored water bodies in Central and Southern Asia has good ambient water quality (SDG indicator 6.3.2, 2023)
Efficiency
3.4 $/m<sup>3</sup> is the value added from the use of water by people and the economy in Central and Southern Asia (SDG indicator 6.4.1, 2022)
Water stress
69 % of the renewable water resources in Central and Southern Asia is being withdrawn, after taking into account environmental flow requirements (SDG indicator 6.4.2, 2022)
Water management
55 % is the degree of implementation of integrated water resources management in Central and Southern Asia (SDG indicator 6.5.1, 2023)
Transboundary
--- % of transboundary basin area has an operational arrangement for water cooperation (SDG indicator 6.5.2, 2023)
Ecosystems
3.5 % is the increase in permanent surface water in Central and Southern Asia in 2022, compared to baseline period 2000-2019 (SDG indicator 6.6.1)
Cooperation
1436 m$ is the amount of water- and sanitation-related official development assistance received by Central and Southern Asia in 2022 (SDG indicator 6.a.1)
Participation
+ is the average number of sub-sectors (out of 6) with a high level of participation by communities in Central and Southern Asia (SDG indicator 6.b.1, 2021)

Drinking water

6.1.1 Proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services in Central and Southern Asia, progress over time

Figure 1 introduction

6.1.1 Proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services in Central and Southern Asia, by service level and location (2022)

Figure 2 introduction

Sanitation and hygiene

6.2.1a Proportion of population using safely managed sanitation services in Central and Southern Asia, progress over time

6.2.1a Proportion of population using safely managed sanitation services in Central and Southern Asia, by service level and location (2022)

6.2.1b Proportion of population with a handwashing facility with soap and water available at home in Central and Southern Asia, by service level and location (2022)

Water quality and wastewater

Number of countries (and areas) with different levels of wastewater treatment in Central and Southern Asia, by source (2019-2022)

Change in 6.3.1 Proportion of wastewater flow (safely) treated > Domestic in Central and Southern Asia, between 2022 and 2024

In the below chart, the regional value is displayed in accent colour. The values of the following countries (or areas) in the region are displayed in grey: Central and Southern Asia, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, India, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan

Domestic wastewater flow generated, delivered to treatment, and safely treated in Central and Southern Asia, by sanitation facility (2024)

Of the total domestic wastewater flow generated in Central and Southern Asia, 20 % comes from sewers, 47 % from septic tanks and 33 % from other sanitation facilities. The below chart shows how much of the generated flow from each sanitation facility type that is delivered to treatment and then safely treated.

6.3.2 Proportion of bodies of water with good ambient water quality in Central and Southern Asia (2023)

Water use and scarcity

Water resources and withdrawal in Central and Southern Asia, total and per capita

Renewable water resources, regional average: 2,018 m3 per capita (2020)
Water withdrawal, regional average: 604 m3 per capita (2020)
Renewable water resources, water withdrawal and environmental flow requirements for all reporting countries (and areas) in the region ( - 2020):

6.4.2 Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources in Central and Southern Asia, change over time

6.4.1 Change in water-use efficiency over time in Central and Southern Asia, progress over time

Water-use efficiency and its components, by sector, for all reporting countries (and areas) in Central and Southern Asia (2022)

Water-use efficiency for ‘Agriculture, forestry and fishing’ only takes into account the proportion of gross value added that comes from irrigated agriculture, since that activity is associated with water withdrawal (other activities are rain-fed).

Water resources management

6.5.1 Degree of integrated water resources management implementation (0-100) in Central and Southern Asia, progress over time, by dimension

Degree of IWRM implementation (0-100): Very low (0-10) – Low (11-30) – Medium-low (31-50) – Medium-high (51-70) – High (71-90) – Very high (91-100)

6.5.2 Proportion of transboundary basin area with an operational arrangement for water cooperation in Central and Southern Asia, progress over time, by component

Very low (0-10) – Low (11-30) – Medium-low (31-50) – Medium-high (51-70) – High (71-90) – Very high (91-100)

Change in permanent surface water extent in Central and Southern Asia compared to baseline period 2000-2019, by country (data from 2017-2022)

Extent of water-related ecosystems in Central and Southern Asia and change compared to baseline period 2000-2019, by ecosystem type (data from 2017-2021)

The total extent of water-related ecosystems in Central and Southern Asia is 536,314 square kilometres, representing --- % of its land area. The total extent of water-related ecosystems is made up of --- % permanent lakes and rivers, --- % seasonal lakes and rivers, --- % reservoirs, --- % inland vegetated wetlands and --- % mangroves.

With the broad definition of wetlands used by the Ramsar Convention, Central and Southern Asia has --- square kilometres of natural wetlands and --- square kilometres of human made wetlands.

Proportion of large lakes with high change in turbidity and trophic state in Central and Southern Asia compared to baseline period 2006-2019 (data from 2017-2021)

Number of countries (and areas) in Central and Southern Asia with different coverage of protected areas for biodiversity, by ecosystem type (data from 2021)

In Central and Southern Asia, 20% of freshwater key biodiversity areas and 19% of terrestrial key biodiversity areas are covered by protected areas.

International cooperation and capacity-building

6.a.1 Amount of water- and sanitation-related official development assistance received by Central and Southern Asia, by country (and area) and over time

Annual expenditure for drinking water, sanitation and hygiene in Central and Southern Asia, per capita and by funding source

Community participation

6.b.1 Number of countries (or areas) with clearly defined Procedures in law or policy for participation by users/communities and with a high Level of participation by users/communities in Central and Southern Asia (2017-2021)

Central and Southern Asia

Countries (and areas) in the region

Land

People

Economy

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Drinking water

Sanitation

Hygiene

Wastewater

Water quality

Efficiency

Water stress

Water management

Transboundary

Ecosystems

Cooperation

Participation