In 2000, the United Nations resolved to halving the percentage of individuals without access to clean water and sanitation by the year 2015 at the latest.
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: “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.â€
The committee went on to define the right as being the right of every individual to have enough safe, acceptable and physically accessible and affordable water for both personal and domestic use.
On 28 July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly expressly recognised the human right to water and sanitation via Resolution 64/292. It further acknowledged that this right is essential to the realisation of all human rights.
The Resolution calls on all international organisations and countries to help with capacity-building, financial resources, and technology transfer to assist, in particular, developing countries to provide accessible, affordable, clean drinking water and sanitation for all.
The definitions of the Resolution are:
Safe
All individuals must have access to water for drinking and domestic use that is free of chemical substances, micro-organisms, and any radiological hazards that could constitute a threat to an individual’s health. The “World Health Organization (WHO) Guidelines for Drinking-Water Quality†provides a foundation for the development of national standards that will ensure the safety of drinking-water.
Acceptable
Acceptable water means that the water must be of an acceptable taste, odour and colour for both domestic use and drinking water. Water facilities must be sensitive to lifecycle, gender, and privacy requirements, and must also be culturally appropriate.
Sufficient
Under the Resolution, sufficient means that the water supply per individual must be sufficient and continuous for personal and domestic uses; this includes drinking water and water for personal and household hygiene, personal sanitation, food preparation, and laundry. WHO has determined this amount to be a minimum of between 50-100litres of water per day per individual.
Affordable
Water, facilities and services must be affordable for everyone, and WHO suggests that these costs not exceed 3% of total household income.
Physically Accessible
Water must be easily accessible to all, either within the household or nearby. WHO stipulates that het water-source should be within 1,000 metres of the home or institution and should not take more than 30 minutes to collect.
Even though all these Resolutions have been made, many countries still have a far way to go to fulfil these needs by 2015. Currently there are still approximately 884 million people who live further than 1 kilometre from potable water and who often survive on less than 5 litres of water per day for all their needs.
Drinking water and water for the basic human hygiene is essential as the body, which is 70% water, cannot function without water.
Sources:
Hot water boilers and water coolers from Living-Water in London. Purchase water coolers and rent water coolers for your business or home.
