Clean drinking water and proper sanitation are basic human rights

Human Rights Day is observed every year on December 10 to commemorate the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in the year 1948. The Declaration provides inalienable rights to every human being regardless of race, sex, religion, color, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.  

ALSO READ: Human Rights Day 2019: Evolution And Concept Of Human Rights

The United Nations General Assembly recognized the access to clean water and sanitation as a basic human right, also acknowledging that clean, drinking water and sanitation are essential to the realization of all human rights. Almost 884 million people in the world do not have access to safe drinking water and more than 2.6 billion people lack access to basic sanitation. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the human right to water includes 50-100 liters of water per person per day for the most basic needs of a person. The water source should be within 1000 meters from home, as there is a large population around the world including children, whose lives are affected as they transport water from far-away places. The effects are not only the physical labor leading to many health problems but also the right to education being taken away from these children.  

ALSO READ: Measures By The United Nations For Global Water Security

In the past century, the world’s population has increased on a rapid scale, leading to an unfathomable demand for water. Many countries around the world are water-stressed and there has also been an increase in the droughts and desertification. Reports indicate that the situation is stipulated to worsen with time and by the year 2050, every fourth person will suffer from recurring water shortage. Water scarcity affects more than 40% people all over the world. This figure is projected to rise with the continuously rising temperatures that is also a major cause for the depleting freshwater table on earth. 

ALSO READ: Saving Water Today Can Brighten A Child’s Tomorrow

The United Nations Organization includes the right to access to water and sanitation as the 6th sustainable development goals. The Millennium Development Goals declared that the proportion of population without access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation will be halved by 2015, but however, billions, today are still affected by the shortage of drinking water. As global citizens, we also need to realize that goals like the access to safe and affordable water for all by the year 2030 will require investment on our behalf as well. We will have to contribute in infrastructure for sanitation and water treatment, and encourage hygiene practices, along with protecting and restoring water-related ecosystems.  

ALSO READ: Why Waste Water If You Can Reuse It?

Here’s how you can contribute to make every drop count: 

Take the Har Ek Boond pledge by logging onto www.republicworld.com or give a missed call on 1800 120 887788