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Water as a Human Right in the Global South: Ethical, Legal and Sociopolitical Dimensions

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The Human Face of Water Security

Part of the book series: Water Security in a New World ((WSEC))

Abstract

This chapter seeks to elucidate the scope and limitations of the international recognition of the human right to water, and the course that States must follow in order to fulfill the commitments they have assumed. It analyzes the links among the human right to water, water security, and environmental justice, given that the existence of a water crisis that requires a human-oriented approach and solution has been recognized. The chapter is divided into three parts: the first discusses the water crisis and its relation to water security and the human right to water, while the second focuses on the ethical and legal dimensions of the human right to water and postures that favor, or oppose, its recognition. Finally, the third part focuses on the sociopolitical dimension of the human right to water; that is, the role of the State in complying with and/or violating this right, and the defensive actions taken by civil society in Latin American countries (i.e., those in the Global South).

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The Global South largely corresponds to the Third World: defined as the poorer, less-developed region of the world.

  2. 2.

    According to UN Water (2012: 7): “as water demand and availability become more uncertain, all societies become more vulnerable to a wide range of risks associated with inadequate water supply, including hunger and thirst, high rates of disease and death, lost productivity and economic crises, and degraded ecosystems. These impacts elevate water to a crisis of global concern.”

  3. 3.

    See Box 4.1.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Institute in Ecosystems and Sustainability (UNAM-IIES), National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico

    Patricia Avila-García

Authors
  1. Patricia Avila-García
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Correspondence to Patricia Avila-García .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. China International Water Law (CIWL), School of Law, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China

    David Devlaeminck

  2. Pacific Water Research Centre, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

    Zafar Adeel

  3. Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

    Robert Sandford

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Avila-García, P. (2017). Water as a Human Right in the Global South: Ethical, Legal and Sociopolitical Dimensions. In: Devlaeminck, D., Adeel, Z., Sandford, R. (eds) The Human Face of Water Security. Water Security in a New World. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-50161-1_4

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