Human Rights and Sustainable Goals

THE SIXTH BUDAPEST HUMAN RIGHTS FORUM

The Right to Access to Water for Sustainable Development and Stability in Dry-Land Areas in Time of

Climate Change

7- 8 NOVEMBER 2013

www.gwiwater.org | Valerie Ndaruzaniye

FOCUS OF PRESENTATION

I. Defining the Human Right to Water • Human Rights Council Resolution on the Human Right to Access to Water and

Sanitation• MDG 7

II. Water Availability

III. Water Insecurity: • Water Access: Possible Future Scenarios• The Case of Ex-Combatants• Ex-Combatants and Economic Livelihood• Ex-combatants: Challenges for Socio-Economic Reintegration• Women in Remote Drylands• Some Hope• Reaching Rural People for Capacity Building• Sustainable Development

IV. Moving Forward• Human Right to Water• Post-MDGs Policies • Policies at the Local and International Levels

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I. Defining the Human Right to Water 1. Human Rights Council Resolution on the Right to

Access to Water and Sanitation2. MGD 7

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The Human Rights Council Resolution A/HRC/RES/15/9 of September 2010

• “the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation is derived from the right to an adequate standard of living and inextricably related to the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, as well as the right to life and human dignity.”

• The General View: the human right to access to water and sanitation is seen as a “third generation human right”

• Human right to access to water and sanitation is the basis from which all other rights and development can be realized

The 7th MDG (7C) for Environmentalsustainability

• The right to access to water is key to achieving environmental sustainability, overall peace, and a scalable economy worldwide

• The 7th MDG (7C) focused on halving the proportion of the population without access to clean water and sanitation services is not a reality for many vulnerable people in rural dryland areas and post-conflict countries

II. Water Availability

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III. Water Insecurity1. Water Access: Possible Future Scenarios

2. The Case of Ex-Combatants3. Ex-combatants and Economic Livelihood 4. Ex-combatants: Challenges for Socio-Economic

Reintegration5. Women in Remote Drylands6. Some Hope7. Reaching Rural People for Capacity Building8. Sustainable Development

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• Increasing consumption: between 1900 and 1995, the consumption of global freshwater rose six fold, more than twice the rate of population growth

• Approximately 700 million people in 43 countries are suffering from water stress and scarcity

• 80% of diseases in developing countries are said to be linked to poor water and sanitation

Water (In)security

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MAURITANIE MALI

NIGER

CHAD ERYTHEE

LESOTHO

MADAGASCAR

SOUTH AFRICA

SOUDAN

MOZAMBIQUE

NAMIBIA

ETHIOPIA

RDC

SOMALIA

TANZANIA

CONGO

ANGOLA

SENEGAL

SWAZILAND

GUINEE

ZIMBABWE

GAMBIE

LIBERIA

GUINNE BISSAU

ZAMBIA

BOTSWANA

COTE D’IVOIRE

NIGERIA

SIERRA

LEONEBENIN

B-F

GABON

CAMEROON

KENYA

BURUNDI

UGANDA

RWANDA

GUINEE EQUAT.

TOGOGHANA

RCA

MALAWI

DJIBOUTI

MAURITIUS

Percentage of RURAL population using improved drinking water

< 50 %

> 50 & < 70%

> 70 & < 90%

< 50 %> 90 %

ETHIOPIA

TUNISIA

MOROCCO

SAHARA

OCCIDENTAL

EGYPTELYBIA

ALGERIA

Source : Global Water Institute 2010 www.gwiwater.org

Drawn Map based on data from the UNICEF 2009 Report

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Water Abundance and Populations

• With its 5400 km³ of renewable resources -10% of the world water represents one of the major development in Africa - 40M ha of irrigation potential & 1.4M of hydropower potential

• About 69% of African population lives in conditions of relative water abundance

• Yet only 62% of Africans had access to improved water supply in 2000 despite the considerable improvements during the 1990s. Of this number, 70% live in rural areas and are currently without access to safe drinking water

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Scenarios for Future Water Challenges

• By 2025 about 600 M people will suffer water scarcity (<1000 m³/capita/year)

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• By 2025 most African countries will have exceeded the limits of their economically usable, land-based water resources

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The Case of Ex-Combatants

• “Ex-combatants” - Young men and women previously directly involved in armed conflict, as either government fighters or militia members

• Many ex-combatants were forced to join armed forces as children, and are uneducated and unskilled

• Ex-combatants generally left their homes and land to participate in war efforts, and upon return to their communities, they often turn to farming for their economic livelihood, but find their land either destroyed by erosion and degradation or confiscated by war commanders

• Ex-combatants often do not know techniques for restoring their environment, and thus are not able to recreate their farm and build a life

Ex-Combatants and EconomicLivelihood

• Ex-combatants are disproportionately affected by water scarcity because they depend upon water and the climate for their economic livelihood

• Ex-combatants are also not likely to be part of the political process, and are not able to voice their circumstances to decision makers

• Few political decisions do not consider ex-combatants, especially women, as a case of high importance

• Ex-combatants are particularly vulnerable to discrimination, racism and xenophobia, which can further interfere with their ability to safeguard the eco-system on which they depend

Ex-Combatants: Challenge for Socio-Economic Reintegration

• “Human development is about freedom. It is about building human capabilities –the range of things people can do, and what they can be. …but people are restricted in what they can do with […] freedom if they are poor […] discriminated against, threatened by violent conflict or denied a political voice.” Human Development Report 2005 (UNDP 2005)

• Africa counts more than 300,000 ex-combatantswithout jobs

Women in Remote Drylands

• Rural women are responsible for collecting water in approximately 2/3 of households in developing countries

• African women spend about 60 billion hours per year searching for water

• In Africa and Asia, women walk, in average, between 4-6 kilometers a day to collect water

• Rural women in remote drylands are not reachable and therefore can hardly be considered for their inclusion in decision-making processes

Some Hope

• Tremendous promotion of women in politics in developing countries since the 1994 UN Convention in Beijing

• With many women holding Parliament seats, the world hopes to see results related to rural women’s development and democratic participation

• Despite increases in the numbers of women in politics, very few women have lead roles in formal settings for climate-resilience discussions

• Clean water supply and climate negotiations and all institutions linked to water industry remain male-dominated

Reaching Rural People for CapacityBuilding

• Capacity building activities are often held in urban cities, thereby neglecting the rural and isolated communities

• Farmers in rural areas are, however, eager to learn new techniques in order to preserve theirwater through ecosystem restoration, and improved land management practices for agriculture and livestock that can also improveeconomic output and promote sustainabledevelopment

Achieving Sustainable Development• Brundtland Commission: “…the essential needs of the world’s

poor, are to be given overriding priority. …., protecting the rights of the most vulnerable members of our society, is … the best way… to protect the right of future generations to inherit a planet that is still worth inhabiting.”

• Sustainable development cannot be possible if an adequate standard of living is denied to a large part of the world’s population

• The challenge of achieving sustainable development focuses on human beings and their behavior and attitudes toward their environment

• A balance needs to be reached between nature and people and also among people themselves

IV. Moving Forward1. Human Right to Water2. Post-MDGs - Policy Proposal3. Policies at the Local and International Levels

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Moving Forward on the Human Right to Water

• Human rights set norms for fair sharing and just distributions of national economies including water. Thus, ex-combatants and women in remote drylandsand rural communities should have their just share

• They should have equal treatment as those living in urban areas in terms of water distribution and sanitation services

• It is time to go beyond political recognition and high level meetings and to take active steps to ensure that the right to water is integrated into all aspects of the development agenda, as the threat of climate change heightens the importance of this development goal

Moving Forward on the Human Right to Water

• Urgent need for decisions on matters that include power-sharing, women’s rights, refugee’s rights, equal water distribution in sufficient quantity and quality, land and property restitution to returnees, ex-combatants’ rights, and right to justice and reparations that can have a profound effect on the lives of women and ex-combatants, prospects for lasting peace, and sustainable development in a given country

The Post-2015 Agenda: Policy Proposals

• The post-2015 agenda must move forward with clear objectives towards total insertion and integration of those who are discriminated against

• The Post-2015 agenda must ensure there is no longer discrimination and inequalities in access to water, sanitation and hygiene

At the Local Level: Policy Proposals

• Governments should make a clear and sound commitment to address rural women’s and ex-combatants’ environmental security issues in developing countries

• Environmental laws and poverty reduction strategies should be sensitive to the specific concerns of women in remote drylands and ex-combatants in post-conflict developing countries, and respond equally to the different impacts climate change has on vulnerable groups

• Local and national governments need to reach out to rural women in dryland areas and ex-combatants to understand their specific circumstances, and tailor policies to address their needs

At the Local Level: Policy Proposals

• Issues of women in rural drylands and ex-combatants in post-conflict developing countries need to be integrated into all national environmental policies

• Governments in post-conflict developing countries themselves should place many more educated women and ex-combatants within the government structure, to spearhead initiatives that promote the inclusion of these people within the political process

At the Local Level: Policy Proposals

• Women and ex-combatants should be trained in the management of natural resources and the environment protection or ecological restoration and maintenance, as they have the potential to be a strong force for development

• Civil society has a fundamental role to play in holding local and national governments accountable for effective interventions to address water security and sanitation problems

• Local organizations have the capacity to advocate on behalf of the marginalized people, ensuring that these voices are heard and that political will is mobilized

At the Local Level: Policy Proposals

• National strategies should provide guidelines for acceptance and use of external funds, to ensure resources support only proven, evidence-based interventions that meet efficiently and effectively the needs of these marginalized groups

• Such strategies should be cross-cutting by including integrated interventions for and requirements of all relevant ministerial sectors, mainly legal and judicial, health and education, social welfare, district governments, and information services

At the International Level: Policy Proposals

• Though it is important for national governments to take the lead in protecting and promoting women in rural drylands and ex-combatants, it is however fundamental that donor governments and agencies be supportive by contributing their fair share in terms of financial and technical support

• Donor governments should ensure that all bilateral environmental and development initiatives targeting e special water needs for marginalized groups are included in development projects

At the International Level: Policy Proposals

• The international community can play a role by not just grabbing the “low hanging fruit”, but by targeting rural women and ex-combatants in development projects, and focusing relief efforts to reach the most vulnerable people

At the International Level: Policy Proposals

• The international community should take concerted action to promote women in rural drylands and ex-combatants through capacity building and public awareness on issues related to climate change and the increasing water insecurity

• Such an exercise should help women and ex-combatants feel confident that they are learning new patterns useful for sustaining their own ecosystems, increasing their crop production, improving their socio-economic status and societal stability

At the International Level: Policy Proposals

• A cross-cutting program to address the water challenges faced by vulnerable and marginalized groups in developing societies should be established urgently. Local governments cannot do it alone. Therefore the United Nations, and the European Union with the support of other international institutions, NGO and civil societies, must be committed to the human right to water.

Thank you!

Information sources available atwww.gwiwater.org