Module 3 - THE RIGHT TO WATER

As part of Module 3, I am to research the theme Water. I've picked the category Systems, so I'm going to be exploring political issues/debates/topics. A matter that is world widely known is the "The Right to Water" campaign established in 2003 by WaterAid and Rights for Humanity. There aims are halve the number of people without clean water by 2015 and to:

• Provide information on relevant policy commitments and explain the concepts and theories of human rights law with respect to the right to water.
• Disseminate General Comment No 15 adopted by the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights confirming and interpreting the right to water.
• Promote the use of the right to water as a tool for community empowerment, advocacy and legal redress.

"In this new century, water, its sanitation, and its equitable distribution, pose great social challenges for our world. We need to safeguard the global supply of healthy water and to ensure that everyone has access to it."

- Kofi Annan, United Nations Secretary-General

Some alarming statistics came from the UN Water Development report in 2006, reporting that:

• 1.1 billion people lack access to an adequate supply of water
  
• 2.6 billion people lack access to adequate sanitation
• 1.8 million children die every year as a result of diseases caused by unclean water and poor sanitation
• 1 in 6 has no access to clean drinking water and 1 in 3 has no access to sanitation
• Fetching water is estimated to take up to 40bn hours a year in Africa

Water is a finite resource. Although two thirds of the Earth’s surface is covered by water, only approximately 2.5% of this is freshwater. Of this, the total usable freshwater supply for ecosystems and humans is less than 1%
(Source: UN Environmental Programme, Vital Water Report/Graphics).

The problem of water scarcity has been compounded by man-made factors such as pollution, the mismanagement of water resources and increasing demand, particularly in the industrial sector. At the same time, lack of access to water by poor people is being exacerbated by water privatisation policies that inadequately protect access by poor individuals and communities.