Water is an irreplaceable element essential to survival; thus, everyone has a right to it.
Access to water is a prerequisite for the realization of the majority of the other human rights, such as the rights to life, to food and to health. Water insufficiency is often due to mismanagement, corruption, lack of appropriate institutions, bureaucratic inertia and a lack of investment in infrastructure or technology to draw water from rivers, aquifers or other water sources, or insufficient human capacity to satisfy the demand for water. Critical conditions often arise for economically poor and politically weak communities. Inadequate access to safe drinking water affects the well-being of a huge number of people and is often the cause of disease, suffering, conflicts, poverty and even death. Waterborne diseases caused by lack of sanitation and hygiene are one of the leading causes of death.
For a suitable solution to this problem, it must be set in context in order to establish moral criteria based precisely on the value of life and the respect for the rights and dignity of all human beings. Millions of people suffer daily due to the lack of access to basic water and sanitation. Women and children suffer the most. For example, women and girls are prevented from attending school because of responsibilities to collect water. By its very nature water cannot be treated as just another commodity among many, and it must be used rationally and in solidarity with others.
The key lies in strong institutions and cooperation. The water management must carry out the negotiations as “need-based” instead of a “right–based” paradigm. This in turn would lead to a unique policy structure which promotes sustainable management of water resources combined with cooperation. By improving the sewage systems in these areas, we can prevent water scarcity from becoming any worse. Consider learning about how you can recycle water. Not only does it help to prevent scarcity, but it can save you some money as well. The government must invest money and effort into conservation for life saving.