The WHO has released its 2025 Compendium on Drinking-Water Systems and Technologies, offering updated frameworks and treatment solutions to ensure safe, sustainable water access. With a focus on climate resilience and risk management, the guide supports global efforts to meet SDG 6.1, addressing the needs of over two billion people lacking safe water.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has unveiled its 2025 Compendium on Drinking-Water Systems and Technologies, a landmark publication aimed at strengthening global access to safe and sustainable drinking water. Released in December 2025, the guide consolidates best practices, technologies, and frameworks to help governments, engineers, and policymakers tackle one of the world’s most pressing challenges.
Key Highlights
Comprehensive Framework: The compendium provides a systems-based approach from source to consumer, covering treatment technologies, distribution networks, and risk management strategies.
Climate Resilience: Recognizing the growing impact of climate change, the guide emphasizes resilient water safety planning (WSP) to safeguard communities against droughts, floods, and contamination risks.
Technology Updates: It introduces innovative treatment solutions—including advanced filtration, disinfection methods, and decentralized systems—designed to be scalable across urban and rural settings.
Global Context: Despite progress, over two billion people worldwide still lack access to safely managed drinking water, making this guide a critical tool for accelerating progress toward SDG 6.1 (universal access to safe water).
Target Audience: The compendium is tailored for engineers, planners, regulators, and policymakers, offering practical guidance for designing and maintaining safe water systems.
Risk Management: A strong focus is placed on preparedness and monitoring frameworks, ensuring that water systems can anticipate and mitigate risks before they escalate into public health crises.
Context and Impact
Water is not only a basic necessity but also a determinant of health, dignity, and economic development. WHO’s 2025 guide arrives at a time when urbanization, climate pressures, and pollution are straining water systems worldwide. By consolidating global expertise into a single reference, the compendium provides countries with actionable strategies to modernize infrastructure, strengthen governance, and build resilience.
Experts note that the guide will be particularly valuable for low- and middle-income countries, where resource constraints often hinder safe water delivery. With its emphasis on affordable, adaptable technologies, the compendium bridges the gap between innovation and accessibility.
Ultimately, WHO’s 2025 release underscores that achieving universal access to safe drinking water is not just a technical challenge but a moral imperative—one that requires coordinated global action.
Sources: India Water Portal, WHO Compendium PDF
