Water and human rights

Water is a precious commodity since the beginning of civilization and globally the human rights of citizens have been violated by their being denied access to water. Women and children have often been directly and indirectly affected by this lack of access to water. Water is an extremely valuable commodity and many lives have been lost in the quest for water. The lack of water is a huge public health challenge and, in spite of globalization and the rapid advances in science and technology, more than a billion people—almost one-fifth of the world's population—lack access to safe drinking water, and 40 percent lack access to basic sanitation, according to the 2nd United Nations World Water Development Report. In 2002, the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights recognized that water itself was an independent human right. This presentation will discuss the relationship between water and human rights and how the global public health workforce and various stakeholders can partner to safeguard the human rights of the population and ensure equal and fair access to water.