Accelerating the achievement of SDG 6 via adaptive capacity mainstreaming into water governance strategies: a case study of Nigeria

ABSTRACT Climate change significantly impacts access to potable water, necessitating policy and practical reforms to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6. In Nigeria, population growth has outpaced access to piped water, leading to widespread water stress, with many Nigerians daily consuming a lesser quantity of water than the World Health Organization (WHO)'s minimum recommended threshold. This issue is exacerbated by weak institutions, corruption, and water governance instruments that lack specific climate change adaptation strategies, potentially hindering the achievement of SDG 6. This study, therefore, evaluates water provision and access in Nigeria to propose sustainable solutions. We conducted a systematic literature search across relevant databases and search engines, narratively synthesizing the retrieved data. Findings indicate that achieving SDG 6, given current institutional challenges, requires a re-evaluation of water governance policies and processes to embed adaptive capacity into existing structures and foster a climate-resilient water system. Through a comparative situational analysis of similar contexts, our results show that leveraging the existing national and local adaptive capacity frameworks can improve Nigeria's water system. Concrete and actionable recommendations that may serve as a roadmap for Nigeria and other developing countries facing similar challenges are provided.