Human right to water under international law regime: an overview

Abstract

The worldwide water crisis is alarming in recent years due to climate change, a growing world population and increasing demands for water, making the situation challenging. A large number of countries are facing a difficult situation where water supplies are not adequate to satisfy even the minimum needs of the people. While international regulation of water has traditionally operated from the perspective of the state, recent human rights instruments have shifted the debate. Despite the lack of a universal treaty containing an explicit human right to water, the UN General Assembly has adopted resolutions expressly recognizing the human right to water, and the right is furthermore incorporated in the new Sustainable Development Goals. In this context, the aim of this paper is to examine the present status of the right to water in international law. It attempts to dialogue with the different existing perspectives regarding the impact of its international recognition as a human right. It then explains the development of the right to water in legal and judicial spheres. Finally, it considers the urgency and challenge of monitoring the human right to water and sanitation and discusses important implications for public policies.