Equity in Every Drop: Access to Clean Water is a Fundamental Human Right
Access to safe and clean water is a basic human right and critical for individual survival and societies. Yet, in Africa, more than 25% of the population spends about six hours walking in order to get enough water for a day — sometimes unclean water — which causes serious health problems and reinforces cycles of poverty.
As French oceanographic explorer and environmentalist, Jean-Michel Cousteau says, “Clean water, the essence of life and a birthright for everyone, must become available to all people now.” For a significant portion of the global population, this is far from the reality – for instance, in Rwanda's rural communities.
In the peaceful countryside of Rwanda, the story of water inequity is all too common. There are a large number of marginalised communities in rural Rwanda that rely on water obtained from dug wells, ponds, rivers, streams, swamps, lakes and even contaminated rainwater for their daily needs. The surrounding area's calm beauty conceals the harsh fight for something as basic as clean water. Lack of clean and safe water has led to the severe water crisis and those who live in poverty are disproportionately affected by water scarcity.
This water crisis aggravates social inequality and widens the gap between the rich and the poor. While the majority of urban areas benefit from modern services and piped water systems, rural populations struggle to get clean water. In these isolated rural communities, having access to clean water is essential for survival rather than just convenience.
For example, data shows that only 10% of residents in Mudende Sector, Rubavu District, Rwanda have access to clean water. This leaves a large number of this community exposed to the terrible effects of waterborne diseases. Generally, 44 % of households in Rwanda lack access to basic water supplies.
“In Africa, more than 25% of the population spends about six hours walking in order to get enough water for a day.”
The water crisis disproportionately affects girls, women, and children. Firstly, 80% of smallholder farmers are women. When irrigation is affected due to water scarcity, they are often blamed for insufficient harvest. “Things have changed, and you cannot know whether it is going to rain or not, and when you do not get a good harvest women are the ones to blame,” a women farmer from Bugesera reported.
Many women in Rwanda also often spend hours every day fetching water rather than going to school or engaging in income-generating activities. Because they are primarily responsible for household tasks, they bear a disproportionate share of the burden of water scarcity, which worsens gender inequalities and limits their capacity to engage in society fully.
On top of this, climate change also worsens the effects of this water crisis. For instance, in Rubavu District, Rwanda, 90% of households walk long miles to fetch water. The mountainous terrain has made it very difficult for government actors to put in the appropriate infrastructure. Increasing temperatures have led to more periods of drought, which dry up water sources, and the effects of a changing climate lead to unpredictable rainfall patterns. Floods destroy infrastructure, uproot populations, and make already vulnerable groups even more vulnerable.
“This water crisis aggravates social inequality and widens the gap between the rich and the poor.”
This lived reality, and the necessity of water as a basic human right, is acknowledged widely by national and international groups. It was first recognized by the international community during the 1977 Mar del Plata UN Water Conference, stating that: “All peoples, whatever their stage of development and social and economic conditions, have the right to have access to drinking water in quantities and of a quality equal to their basic needs.”
Another example is Sustainable Development Goal 6 which references the international recognition of the human rights to water. Through international cooperation, it is expected that by 2030, all countries will be able to access clean water and sanitation, hygiene, and sustainable management of water resources, and ecosystems by enhancing the significance of a sustainable environment.
While this is a simple and visionary statement, the implementation of this is much more complex. States and other international actors should systematically conduct follow-ups and reviews by using a set of global indicators to achieve this target. These indicators include water use efficiency, water stress, integrated water resources management, transboundary water cooperation, water-related ecosystems, international cooperation, drinking water, sanitation, hygiene, water quality, and waste-water treatment.
Additionally, addressing equity in water, investing in infrastructure, promoting water conservation, enhancing water quality, state partnership and collaboration are also key levers for achieving SDG6 by 2030.
Despite Rwanda's efforts and initiatives to expand its access and infrastructure, water issues persist. Various legal instruments and policies are yet to be developed. There is no sufficient updated data on water status in remote districts and sub-district levels which may lead to water insecurity, unsustainability, and climate change effects on the population. There is still much work to do as acknowledged by the report of January 2024 on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in Rwanda (WASH).
Water is a life source. Insufficient access to clean water hinders economic development and intersectional justice. There is an urgent need for social justice and for us to advocate for equitable access for all. Access to clean water should not be a privilege reserved for some but rather a human right enjoyed by everyone.
