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percentage of women holding a leadership or managementposition in the sector. 5657.3.6. Water and sanitationSeveral of the briefs underlined the tight inter-relationshipbetween water issues and other issues covered in theSDGs. Water, energy and land resources are allinterconnected. One brief pointed out that agriculture andindustry (including energy) account for 70 per cent and 22per cent of global water withdrawals, respectively, while 7per cent of all energy is used for water supply and 4 percent of energy is directly used in agriculture. 566The plight of smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africahighlights the linkage between agriculture, water accessand poverty eradication. In this respect, one of the briefsnotes that in sub-Saharan Africa the area equipped forirrigation is a small fraction – 3.2 per cent in 2006 – of thetotal cultivated area. 567 The recommended policy optionsinclude increasing investment in sustainable waterinfrastructure (from small scale to large scale) andtechnologies to augment water supply, as well asguaranteeing water and land rights for poor smallholderfarmers.With SDG target 6.3 addressing water pollution and safereuse of wastewater, one of the briefs states that atpresent 92 per cent of sewage generated in low-incomecountries and 72 per cent in lower middle-income countriesis discharged in untreated form to water courses. 568 Whilesafe and regulated use of wastewater is the case in someregions, the brief notes that informal irrigation with raw ordiluted wastewater all too often remains the norm,representing up to 90 per cent of all current wastewateruse.an estimated $45 billion required annually - and thatwithout ramped-up efforts very large numbers of personswill be left without access to electricity in 2030. 571In relation to influencing household-level energy use, onebrief outlined applicable strategies, including the design ofuser-centered energy monitoring tools to inform householddecisions, for instance by making energy use “visible”, aswell as taking into account the social and cultural factorsthat influence household energy practices. 572Several briefs addressed questions related to the supplyside. The authors of one brief - arguing that the continueddominance of hydrocarbons in the energy mix is the resultof a lock-in of fossil fuel energy systems - point out that 6.9per cent of the total energy produced by the oil and gasindustry is consumed by the industry itself. 573 Theyconclude that there exist a range of feasible short-termoptions to cut emissions from the extraction andtransformation industry, such as curbing gas flaring andimproving refining efficiency. Noting the continued trendtowards drilling in deeper and more environmentallysensitive areas, one brief points out that there is nointernational convention on the safety of offshore drillingactivities. 574 Moreover, the authors noted that there existno global rules regulating liability and compensation forpollution damage resulting from offshore drilling activities.In relation to new energy technologies, one brief explores anew and largely untested renewable technology, so-called‘Blue Energy’ or ‘Salinity Gradient Power’ (SGP). 575 Thistechnology seeks to exploit energy obtained by thecontrolled mixing of a stream of saltwater (e.g. seas) and astream of less saline water, treated wastewater, or freshriver water.A number of briefs examine the nexus between energy(SDG7) and water resources (SDG6), using modelingframeworks, such as TIMES-Water model, to forecast thepeak year of water demand and simulate the impact ofwater cost on energy structure. 569 Applications of otherapproaches, such as Water Ecological Footprint Model, arealso described in this context.7.3.7. EnergyMany briefs make explicit reference to energy, identifying itas a key condition to guarantee access to clean water,sanitation, schooling and overall a key factor for growthand development. 570 In relation to the commitment touniversal access, one brief notes that current financing fallsfar short of the estimated requirements - only $9 billion of1377.3.8. Economic growth and employmentThe briefs relevant to economic growth and employmentalso cut across industrialization and infrastructure, as wellas sustainable consumption and production.In the context of renewed debate around innovation, aninteresting perspective comes from exploring the role ofcommunity-based digital fabrication facilities that enablethe development and production of custom-made thingswhich are not accessible by conventional industrial scaletechnologies. 576 Such tools have the potential todemocratize access to technology and permit communitiesto participate in creating their own technological tools.