Is Water a Human Right?
Is Water a Human Right? by GARRETT HEANEY
“Access to safe water is a fundamental human need and, therefore, a basic human right. Contaminated water jeopardizes both the physical and social health of all people. It is an affront to human dignity.” — Kofi Annan, prior United Nations Secretary-General
… If only the issue of water as a human right was as simple as Kofi Annan’s perspective.
A world where humans have a well defined set of undeniable rights is an important goal for this generation. But aside from rights, the human race has a more dire set of biological needs that it must secure in order to survive. When someone is denied a right, they suffer. When someone is denied a need, they die.
Air, food and water are the most fundamental needs of the human species — and none of these are indicated as absolute rights of the entire population of Earth. If we are going to work towards a future that enables humans to possess certain rights, we must first consider these biological needs as their undeniable foundation.
In this article, we will focus on the concept of water as a human right and whether governments are the most fit entities to provide water, and rights to that water. In our research, we have determined that there is no implicit statement or international treaty that asserts — absolutely — that human beings have a right to water, and we recognize this as a leading symptom of our species’ suffering condition.
On a positive note, we whole-heartedly believe that it is possible to provide safe drinking water, in quality and quantity, to every human on Earth. We also believe that accomplishing this will be a fundamental step towards actualizing all human rights and alleviating global poverty.
The United Nations Committee on Economic, Cultural and Social Rights could not have stated it more clearly:
“Water is fundamental for life and health. The human right to water is indispensable for leading a healthy life in human dignity. It is a pre-requisite to the
“Access to safe water is a fundamental human need and, therefore, a basic human right. Contaminated water jeopardizes both the physical and social health of all people. It is an affront to human dignity.” — Kofi Annan, prior United Nations Secretary-General
… If only the issue of water as a human right was as simple as Kofi Annan’s perspective.
A world where humans have a well defined set of undeniable rights is an important goal for this generation. But aside from rights, the human race has a more dire set of biological needs that it must secure in order to survive. When someone is denied a right, they suffer. When someone is denied a need, they die.
Air, food and water are the most fundamental needs of the human species — and none of these are indicated as absolute rights of the entire population of Earth. If we are going to work towards a future that enables humans to possess certain rights, we must first consider these biological needs as their undeniable foundation.
In this article, we will focus on the concept of water as a human right and whether governments are the most fit entities to provide water, and rights to that water. In our research, we have determined that there is no implicit statement or international treaty that asserts — absolutely — that human beings have a right to water, and we recognize this as a leading symptom of our species’ suffering condition.
On a positive note, we whole-heartedly believe that it is possible to provide safe drinking water, in quality and quantity, to every human on Earth. We also believe that accomplishing this will be a fundamental step towards actualizing all human rights and alleviating global poverty.
The United Nations Committee on Economic, Cultural and Social Rights could not have stated it more clearly:
“Water is fundamental for life and health. The human right to water is indispensable for leading a healthy life in human dignity. It is a pre-requisite to the