Life on our planet is sustained by water. For some it is abundant and for others scarce. As the number of people has increased to ~7 billion our needs for freshwater have dramatically increased.  While our planet is 70% water, only 2.5% is freshwater and only 1% of it is accessible.  

We know water is essential but is water a human need or a human right? While the distinction may seem subtle, it is a big difference. If it is a human need and it is scarce then it needs to be treated as a commodity and priced to reflect its value so it will not be wasted. If it is a right, then every person has the right to access sufficient water.  In the United States, there are many mentions of water, but it is not written that water is a human right. Internationally, the United Nations General Assembly voted in 2010 to recognize the “right to safe and clean drinking water as a human right.” As you can imagine this issue is not resolved. There are 790 million people without sufficient water in the world today. 

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Join our mailing list to receive our email newsletter with the latest news and updates from the OPL team.  We are happy to have you become part of our growing community.

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Share This