Every year, UNESCO World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP) coordinates the production of the UN World Water Development Report (WWDR) and publishes it on behalf of UN-Water. The report serves as a comprehensive review of the state, use and management of the world’s freshwater resources, and provides tools for designing and implementing sustainable water policies.
Despite years of remarkable technological and scientific advancement, the world is today still witnessing high levels of inequality and poor living conditions. While a few are benefiting from the fruits of progress, many are being “left behind” and are not having their rights as citizens fulfilled. This is why this year the WWDR topic is focusing on “Leaving no one behind” when addressing the human rights to water and sanitation.
Development advancements are being undermined by the inequalities that are produced and propagated by inadequate water and sanitation systems, including water resource management and service provision. Additional stressors such as climate change, rapid urbanization and political instability are further exacerbating water and sanitation challenges. The report calls for a shift in the way we understand and manage the world’s water resources. It also warns that failing to address the inequalities within water systems will threaten the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda.
It is important to remember that ‘water rights’ (granted to individuals or organizations through property or land rights, or through negotiated agreements between the state and landowner) and the ‘human rights to water and sanitation’ are two separate things, bearing different legal weight. While water rights are temporary and can be withdrawn (for example in the extreme cases of drought), the human rights to water and sanitation cannot be breached and should be fulfilled regardless of the circumstances. Denying someone the human rights to water and sanitation is akin to denying their rights to life and dignity.
Despite this, many in society are still struggling to fulfil these rights due to a series of complex and often overlapping factors that extend beyond the resource’s physical availability, including a lack of state capacity, weak institutions, social prejudices and environmental adversities. It is generally those who are already vulnerable and discriminated against on grounds such as gender, socio-economic status, age, disability, ethnic/linguistic background etc., who encounter the most obstacles when trying to access these rights.
It is essential to understand the different factors that conduce to inequalities and discriminatory patterns in accessing safe and affordable water and sanitation, in order to design and implement inclusive and effective water policies and interventions.
People living in war and conflict settings often experience great difficulties in accessing water and sanitation. Water-related infrastructure can be damaged or even targeted for destruction, as has been recorded in parts of Iraq, Libya, Palestine, Somalia, Sudan, the Syrian Arab Republic and Yemen (most of which are already water-stressed countries). This has a direct impact on civilians who depend on these services, and in some cases can even contribute to displacement. On top of that, since many areas in conflict settings are hard-to-reach, humanitarian access becomes an additional challenge.
Internally displaced people, asylum seekers and refugees are also amongst the most disadvantaged groups, often facing many obstacles when trying to access water, sanitation and hygiene services (WASH). Joint efforts by host countries, local actors and the international community are necessary for ensuring that basic WASH services for these groups are aligned to the standard of services provided to the hosting community. Failing to attain equal standards in services can spark animosity and disputes between the hosting community and new arrivals over access to services and resources, often leading to further inequities and devastating health outcomes.
In a powerful speech at the WWDR launch in Geneva, Maya Ghazal, a 19-year-old advocate for refugee rights from Syria, vividly described what it was like to live in a conflict zone where water and sanitation provision was constantly cut off. She reiterated:
“Water and sanitation are fundamental human rights, you don’t know how fundamental they are until you lose them”.
For more information on this project, please contact Cora Craigmile Boguña or Simona Gallese, or view the report.
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