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Making water a basic right

By failing to declare water a basic human right, the Fourth World Water Forum (WWF) held in Mexico City has missed a major opportunity to empower the one billion people who are without a source of clean water. With their current policies, national, state, and local governments may not be able to deliver on their commitment articulated by the Millennium Development Goals for 2015 to bridge the gap for the deprived sections. In the last few years, it has also become clear that privatised water supply attempted by some countries, notably in Latin America, is no panacea. The private sector can never lose sight of financial returns on investment and has, not surprisingly, met with more opposition than commendation. If governments have failed, the hefty price for their poor performance is invariably paid by those mired in poverty. The UN World Water Development Report released at the Forum states that nearly 6,000 people, mostly children, die of water-related causes every day. There was great expectation that global interaction would result in an enlightened, community-oriented declaration. The final document signed by 140 nations, however, is disappointing in that it has missed out on many opportunities to strengthen the claims of the deprived. The Forum has also chosen to support big dams, rather than smaller, community-led initiatives that many groups have suggested as an ecologically sound alternative. In a move that is bound to set off a great deal of controversy, the WWF has proposed mega hydroelectric projects to mitigate environmental disasters such as floods and droughts linked to climate change.

The Common Minimum Programme of the United Progressive Alliance Government has commendably prioritised water security and announced support for schemes to strengthen watersheds, women's collectives in resource management, and drinking water networks for urban and rural areas. These intents can become actionable if there is recognition of water (and by extension of sanitation) as a fundamental right. This would cast a duty on the Central and State Governments to come up with time-bound plans to protect watersheds, rivers, and wetlands and work with local bodies to establish distribution systems. Several thousand wetlands that constitute the water security of vast areas do not enjoy legal recognition and are being filled or severely polluted. A statutory right will also compel governments to make their water utilities more transparent and accountable; there is little merit in the argument that the corrective for inefficient and corruption-ridden schemes in the public sector is privatisation. Unlike at the 2003 summit in Kyoto, WWF has avoided making any recommendation in the Mexico City declaration for private sector participation. It has rightly emphasised the need for a bigger role for local governments in slaking the thirst of communities.

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