New York [US], October 18: Governments must abandon market-driven models and embrace democratic, rights-based approaches that recognise water as a common good essential to life, dignity and social cohesion, a UN expert said today.
In a report to the UN General Assembly, Pedro Arrojo Agudo, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, called for a "paradigm shift" in global water governance.
"We are not facing a crisis of scarcity that can be resolved with technology alone," said Arrojo Agudo. "We are facing a democratic crisis. Billions of people are not simply lacking water-they are impoverished and marginalised, living near rivers or polluted aquifers, while powerful interests exploit their water sources."
The report challenges the commodification and privatisation of water, warning that financialisation strategies, such as public-private partnerships and speculative water markets, undermine human rights and environmental sustainability.
"Managing water through speculative futures markets puts human rights at risk," Arrojo Agudo said. "Water must be governed as a common good, accessible to all but not appropriable by anyone."
He said water governance must be rooted in the principles of equality, non-discrimination, participation, accountability, sustainability, and legality. He calls for the recognition of customary and Indigenous water tenure and for the empowerment of communities-especially women-as central actors in water management.
"Democratic governance must be participatory and non-discriminatory," he said. "It must promote the equal participation of women and respect the knowledge of Indigenous Peoples and peasants."
The report also addresses the climate emergency, advocating for a "water transition" to complement energy transition strategies. This includes restoring aquatic ecosystems, protecting aquifers and wetlands, and implementing inclusive hydrological and urban planning to reduce vulnerability to droughts and floods.
"Aquifers are the water lungs of nature," the expert said. "They store 30 times more water than surface flows and are vital for managing the extraordinary droughts that climate change is making increasingly frequent."
The Special Rapporteur called for targeted public subsidies and soft financing mechanisms to ensure affordability and sustainability, especially in rural and impoverished areas.
Source: Emirates News Agency
