Do you have a right to water? - BBC Learning English

It's one of your most basic needs,

but do you have a right to water?

This episode will show how the law protects something we all need.

Two billion people worldwide don't have access to safe water...

How the UN wants to change that by 2030...

And... can you use the law to make sure your community

is kept supplied with water?

We all need water.

So, you'd expect it to be on any list of our basic rights.

So, this might surprise you:

1948 – and one of the most important documents

in human history is unveiled.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

outlines what we are all entitled to –

things like life, freedom from slavery,

freedom to marry. But, oddly, not free access to water.

It's thought access to water wasn't included

because the authors thought it was too obvious.

However, that was dealt with in 2010,

on 28th July of that year, the United Nations General Assembly

declared safe and clean drinking water and sanitation a human right.

They saw that a right to water is essential.

Without it, you can't actually use all your other basic rights.

But, in 2019, the United Nations reported

that two billion people still don't have access to water.

And it's an unfair picture.

The UN says half of the people who drink water from unsafe sources

live in Africa.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, only 24% of the population

have access to safe drinking water.

So, what can the law do to help? Let's hear from Amanda Loeffen,

from the campaigning organisation Human Right to Water.

She explains why water has only recently been recognised as a right.

It was never really a problem until, I suppose, in the last century:

there's been more population, more pollution.

Water's no longer automatically available.

It sometimes has to be sold to you with a cost

and instead of it being a free resource,

that people could access in their local river or lake,

it's no longer available.

So, there became a problem that needed to be dealt with.

A right to water wasn't an official right

because it wasn't seen as necessary until recently.

But because of problems caused by rising pollution

and a growing population, it was officially recognised.

Why do we need laws to define and protect our rights at all?

Well, without a law, there isn't a structure to our society.

You need something to define the...

the fundamental values that we want to protect.

And laws are there to protect our safety

and guarantee that our rights as citizens

are not violated by other people,

or organisations, or governments.

Laws not only protect us from harm,

but also define what values we have as a society.

They keep us safe and make us who we are.

What about our right to water specifically?

Having the right to water means that the government has to protect,

respect and fulfil your rights.

And it guarantees that your basic needs are...

are met and if not, there'll be some compensation.

Having a right to water means big organisations,

like governments or companies, aren't allowed to stop you having it.

If they do, you would be compensated in some way.

What kinds of laws make sure we get water?

Both hard law and soft law are applicable.

Hard law is a term used for a legal document that is binding.

For example, international law treaties are binding,

if they've signed them.

Soft law means that the legal document is not binding

and this includes, for example, UN resolutions and declarations.

But soft law is still important as it can help us to interpret a hard law.

Both hard and soft laws are used.

Hard laws are things like treaties.

If a country breaks one, it could go to an international court.

Soft laws are used to help us understand and use the hard laws.

But as lots of people don't have water,

does having a right to water really make a difference?

Yeah, it makes a massive difference.

The right makes the state accountable and brings awareness to the issues

and encourages progressive realisation of the right to water.

And for many people, once they realise that it is their right,

they then have the option to do something about it

and seek the advice of their local authority,

their ombudsman, or water service provider.

Having a right to water makes a big difference.

It makes people aware that they should have water

and that they can get help.

And it encourages them to go and get that help.

Amanda showed us how the fact we now have a right to water

means the international community thinks it's vital for everyone.

She also explained how having a right can encourage you

to fight for what you need to survive.

As water is so important,

how can we help those who are struggling to get it?

Seventeen-year-old Joyce is on a mission

to make clean water accessible for people in Rwanda.

We never had taps because we have water nearby our home,

so it's not hard work.

We use small jerry cans to collect as much water as possible

and put them in the big ones.

She is president of her school's WASH club,

which tries to increase awareness of water and sanitation issues.

She wants to find out what the barriers to clean water are

and whether they can be resolved.

Water from ponds and marshes can be dirty

and dangerous to collect.

A young boy drowned at this pond while collecting water.

Without safe access to clean water,

lives are put at risk.

Joyce meets Gisele Umuhumuza,

from the government-owned Water and Sanitation Corporation.

We try to target those that are very far,

those that are in the most need,

those areas where we have settlements that don't have water.

We aim that by 2024, people residing in urban areas

get clean water within 200 metres,

whereas in the rural areas they get water in 500 metres.

That's our aim by 2024.

So, how can the international community help them hit that target?

The UN wants access to clean water for all by 2030.

How can the law help us get there?

Here's Dr Paul Orengoh, from the African Ministers Council on Water.

A new policy regime is needed in many countries –

actually both developed... developed countries

and non-developed countries – at all levels,

to accelerate access to clean water.

But of course, even beyond national level,

there are some level of interventions at the global level

and at the regional level,

which may include increasing sector financing and support,

both in terms of money – aid for development –

but also in terms of technology.

Paul thinks new policies from governments are needed

to support international law,

and more money is needed at a global level,

but also at a national level.

What's preventing laws and agreements on water from being followed?

Political commitments and arguments are just but that:

they're just political arguments and commitments.

In most instances, they do not come with a legal force,

so they all depend on political goodwill;

while on the other hand, laws,

especially those dealing with access to water,

requires firm political will to... to enforce.

So, without sufficient political will,

the instruments created to enforce laws related to access to water

simply goes dormant, as they lack the teeth to bite.

For water laws to actually have an impact on people's lives,

local politicians need to act to make sure they're followed;

otherwise the law is meaningless.

Could international law help you get access to water?

The international law only provides for trans-boundary –

or water of transnational nature:

water that is shared by more than two or more countries.

So, in the case of water access within a given country,

then one would have to just consult the national laws that exist,

and institutions that are created by law

to safeguard the human interest to water.

Most international laws cover transnational disputes:

water disputes between two countries.

To get water in your own country,

you mostly have to rely on your own country's national laws.

What can you do to help people without water

if you're far away from where they are?

One of those opportunities I'll point very easily –

is using the available platforms,

like social media platforms,

around specific dialogue issues,

either during the World Water Day or during specific, you know...

International Groundwater Day, or something like that.

You can create pressure to help people in need by using social media.

You could talk about specific initiatives

like Groundwater Day or World Water Day.

We've seen how water is now viewed as one of your basic rights,

but that politicians need to work to make sure you get the water you need.

We've also seen that campaigners, like Amanda and Joyce,

are doing everything they can to make that happen.

The law isn't just written on paper;

it needs people to make it real.