Researchers from RUDN (People’s Friendship University of Russia) have modelled the costs for delivering the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on water supply and sanitation. The model shows that by 2050 the goals can be achieved at a very moderate cost compared to global GDP. The work was published in the journal Ecological Economics.
Naci Dilekli from RUDN and Ignacio Cazcarro from University of Zaragoza analysed the likely costs of providing the world’s population with clean water and access to sanitation. Four main variables were considered: access to clean water; per capita GDP growth, population growth; and the use of new technologies.
They estimated that global spending to achieve the SDGs should amount to $3.4 trillion, which accounts for only 0.24 percent of the global GDP on average.
In addition the researchers concluded that some rich regions are likely to get additional income growth from work on these SDGs because they will be able transfer production to areas with low costs.
Image courtesy of iStockPhoto
