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Ghana
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The Right to Water
Access to safe water is a fundamental human need and, therefore, a basic human right. Contaminated water jeopardizes both the physical and social health of all people. It is
an affront to human dignity. Yet even today, clean water is a luxury that remains out of the reach of many.
Kofi Annan, UN Secretary-General
Worldwide over a billion individuals lack access to a water supply for minimum
drinking and household requirements. Contaminated water is responsible for the
majority of deaths each year in developing countries.
The poor are always the worst affected. Even in countries with an abundance of water
and financial resources, many individuals lack sufficient water for drinking and other
basic needs. Deprived urban areas and rural areas are frequently neglected in
infrastructure development and maintenance. They pay exorbitant prices or use
contaminated water from rivers or wells. Women and children are saddled with the
arduous tasks of collecting water from great distances. Access by indigenous peoples,
nomadic groups and poor farmers to traditional water sources is threatened by pollution
and encroachment by more powerful groups.
The water laws and policies of many countries provide scant protection for vulnerable
groups. Even where these do exist they are rarely enforced. In many countries, water
services can be disconnected without notice and without provision of an alternative
water supply despite the dire threats to life and health. Water prices can be arbitrarily
increased even where water costs constitute the bulk of an individual or family budget.
There are an insufficient number of monitoring bodies to ensure the equitable
implementation of water policies and provide redress for violations.
The international community has affirmed the human right to water in a number of
international treaties, declarations and other documents. Most notably, the UN
Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights adopted in November 2002 a
General Comment on the Right to Water setting out international standards and
obligations relating to the right to water.
For more information, visit the Right to Water Programme pages on COHRE's website.
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