The mid-term status report on SDG indicator 6.6.1 on the change in the extent of water-related ecosystems over time is the outcome of the 2023 Integrated monitoring initiative for SDG 6. Currently, in fifty per cent of countries, at least one type of water-related ecosystem is degraded. This affects over 90 out of the 185 countries reporting on indicator 6.6.1. These damaged ecosystems require the highest priority in protection and restoration policies.