Water rights

As the summer sun intensifies, parched earth and thirsty mouths seek water, it is once again time to ask some tough questions. Should access to clean, safe water be declared a human right?

In July 2010 the United Nations (UN) agreed to a new resolution declaring the human right to “safe and clean drinking water and sanitation”. One hundred twenty-two nations voted in favor of the resolution; 41 (primarily developed) countries abstained; and there were zero “no” votes. According to the declaration, approximately 884 million people lack access to safe drinking water.

A recent World Bank study predicted that demand for fresh water will exceed supply by some 40 percent within just two decades.

Approximately one out of every eight people does not have drinking water. In just one day, more than 200 million hours of the time used by women is spent collecting and transporting water for their homes.

The resolution itself carries no regulatory weight, but backers view it as important to raising awareness of the problem and engendering support for solutions. Governments, aid agencies and the UN must take their responsibilities seriously.
However, some developed countries—including the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand and several European nations—tried to block passage of the resolution in hopes of minimizing their future obligations.

A recent study shows urban growth rates alone leaving 993 million city residents living on less than 100 liters of water a day. (The 100-liter-per-day benchmark comes from the World Health Organization and the U.S. Agency for International Development.) The average American uses 376 liters a day.

When issues like climate change with its potential for damage could not evoke a consensus, it is perhaps naive to expect nations which do not suffer immediate water crisis to pitch in and help the poorer nations. But the UN resolution at least has raised some awareness on the issue.

What do you think? Would declaring it a human right help the situation?