Today
771 million people (1 in 10) do not have access to clean and safe water worldwide, and
1 in 10 don't have clean water close to home. Across the world, Indigenous Peoples are some of the most affected communities when it comes to accessing clean water, and are at the front lines protecting the waterways in their lands and territories.
In November 2002, the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights adopted
General Comment No. 15 on the right to water. Article I.1 states that "The human right to water is indispensable for leading a life in human dignity. It is a prerequisite for the realization of other human rights." Comment No. 15 also defined the right to water as the right of everyone to sufficient, safe, acceptable, and physically accessible, and affordable water for personal and domestic uses.
On July 28, 2010, through
Resolution 64/292, the United Nations General Assembly explicitly recognized the human right to water and sanitation and acknowledged that clean drinking water and sanitation are essential to the realization of all human rights. The Resolution calls upon States and international organizations to provide financial resources, help capacity-building and technology transfer to help countries, in particular developing countries, to provide safe, clean, accessible and affordable drinking water and sanitation for all.
Moreover, Article 25 of the
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples states, "Indigenous Peoples have the right to maintain and strengthen their distinctive spiritual relationship with their traditionally owned or otherwise occupied and used lands, territories, waters and coastal seas and other resources and to uphold their responsibilities to future generations in this regard." Water is a lifesource for all living things, and for Indigenous Peoples, water plays a critical role in their livelihoods, traditional customs and spirituality.
