A brief glimpse at when water was declared a human right:
"In November 2002, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights adopted General Comment No. 15 on the right to water. Article I.1 states that "The human right to water is indispensable for leading a life in human dignity. It is a prerequisite for the realization of other human rights". Comment No. 15 also defined the right to water as the right of everyone to sufficient, safe, acceptable and physically accessible and affordable water for personal and domestic uses.
On 28 July 2010, through Resolution 64/292, the United Nations General Assembly explicitly recognized the human right to water and sanitation and acknowledged that clean drinking water and sanitation are essential to the realization of all human rights. The Resolution calls upon States and international organisations to provide financial resources, help capacity-building and technology transfer to help countries, in particular developing countries, to provide safe, clean, accessible and affordable drinking water and sanitation for all." (United Nations, 2014)
"In November 2002, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights adopted General Comment No. 15 on the right to water. Article I.1 states that "The human right to water is indispensable for leading a life in human dignity. It is a prerequisite for the realization of other human rights". Comment No. 15 also defined the right to water as the right of everyone to sufficient, safe, acceptable and physically accessible and affordable water for personal and domestic uses.
On 28 July 2010, through Resolution 64/292, the United Nations General Assembly explicitly recognized the human right to water and sanitation and acknowledged that clean drinking water and sanitation are essential to the realization of all human rights. The Resolution calls upon States and international organisations to provide financial resources, help capacity-building and technology transfer to help countries, in particular developing countries, to provide safe, clean, accessible and affordable drinking water and sanitation for all." (United Nations, 2014)
There is an argument to what the Human Right to water would look like however. Does is mean that everyone is given free water, at whatever cost? Such as to the government, or to transport it to them? Or does it simply mean that everyone has a right to it and what is available should be kept as public property and not a commodity to be bought and traded to the highest bidder? And that the government is only to provide laws to keep that resource safe? |
“When water is captured, it becomes a private good. Before capture, it is a common resource, flowing underground and in surface bodies towards the ocean. Governments have a legitimate role to play, protecting both quality and quantity, so that there is clean water available for the taking. This role is as protector, not provider. All that is called for is to prevent pollution and depletion - not to actively provide water, but to protect the resource from interference from those who would impose environmental externalities upon it.” (Pardy, 2011). |
“Arguments in favor of free or inexpensive water seek to relieve hardship for the poor. Free water for the poor is an attractive proposition because it appears to solve a pressing need in a single proclamation. However, an obligation on the part of governments in arid countries to provide water for free would be not merely counterproductive, but could actually make it impossible to provide water for all. Consumption of anything, including water, varies with price: lower price leads to higher consumption. Where water is scarce, making it free or artificially cheap exacerbates the scarcity because there is no incentive to conserve.” (Pardy, 2011).
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“Human rights, like any rights, are open to interpretation, which makes ensuring a social justice interpretation a matter of political power and strategic political action.” (Franco, et al, 2013).
Even though water is abundant in some places, it is near invisible in others. Fresh water is very localized in certain region. This water varies as well, due to climate changes, the season and local use. Because if this fact it is incredibly difficult to be able to provide solutions and solve the problem of lack of water in other places. As it stands now, there are countries where people have little to no access to fresh, clean drinking water and people are dying from it, much of the time, theses are the poorest individuals in countries. (Franco, et al, 2013).
So, water has been declared a human right, but as of now, what that means for the future of water is unknown. Does it mean it will become a free product for all, shipped from one place to another to provide it those who don't have it? Will it be bought and sold to those who can afford it? Or does it mean only that our government agencies world wide, have a duty and obligation to protect the resource from pollution and over extraction and to try to slow the damage we have already done? I think that only time will tell, and that people becoming involved and being heard about their concerns is going to be one of the only ways to make change.
So, water has been declared a human right, but as of now, what that means for the future of water is unknown. Does it mean it will become a free product for all, shipped from one place to another to provide it those who don't have it? Will it be bought and sold to those who can afford it? Or does it mean only that our government agencies world wide, have a duty and obligation to protect the resource from pollution and over extraction and to try to slow the damage we have already done? I think that only time will tell, and that people becoming involved and being heard about their concerns is going to be one of the only ways to make change.