The water found on Earth may seem like an infinite resource, but human activity and climate change are putting that resource at risk. In fact, more than 733 million people live in countries with high and critical levels of water stress. And, the world’s water-related ecosystems are being degraded at an alarming rate.
SDG 6 Clean Water & Sanitation challenges us to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. That includes access to drinking water and water for hygiene, protecting water-related ecosystems, and thinking about the ways we use and manage water in the blue economy.
- The blue economy refers to the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and the health of ocean ecosystems. That includes things like sustainable fisheries, managing water as a source of renewable energy, ensuring that maritime shipping and transportation is clean and safe, sustainable ocean and small island tourism, and more.
In the same way that the green economy requires us to think collectively and creatively about skills, training, and labour challenges to fight climate change and reach our net-zero targets, building a sustainable blue economy requires investment, strategy, and innovation.
Enter colleges and institutes. Our signature Education for Employment (EFE) approach pairs Canadian colleges and institutes with similar institutions in partner countries. The approach helps ensure training meets the needs of local economies and learners, developing the capacity to sustain educational change even after a project ends.
For example, our new Kenya Blue Economy Skills Training Program (KBEST) focuses on building skills in Kenya’s workforce needed to drive the country as a competitive presence in the global blue economy while preserving the health of oceans and water systems for future generations of Kenyans.
- At the intersections of SDG 4 Quality Education, SDG 5 Gender Equality, and SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth, KBEST emphasizes training for women, youth, and vulnerable populations in subsectors of the blue economy that have the greatest potential for formal employment and self-employment.
Though the program is just getting started, the approach is one that we’ve pioneered and tailored to success over 50 years. Informed by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), KBEST will leave a lasting impact in Kenya and create promising pathways to education and employment for young Kenyans.
March 22 is World Water Day. This year is about accelerating change to solve the water and sanitation crisis. And because water affects us all, we all have a responsibility to think about how we use, consume and manage water in our lives.