1.4.1
Water Access
By Alexandra Weller and Yuzki Wang
In the hierarchy of needs, sufficient, safe, acceptable and physically accessible and affordable water is a vital component for sustaining life, health and dignity and is specifically protected under General Comment No.15 under the rights to water, where Article I.1 states that “the human right to water is indispensable for leading life in human dignity. It is a prerequisite for the realisation of other human rights” (Ersel, 2015 & Sphere Handbook, 2018 & United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), 2014). According to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) (2014), water is required to be; - Sufficient, as in the water supply for each person must be sufficient and continuous for personal and domestic use. - Safe, as in the water required for each personal or domestic use must be safe, therefore free from micro-organisms, chemical substances and radiological hazards that constitute a threat to a person’s health. - Acceptable, as in the water should be of an acceptable colour, odour and taste for each personal or domestic use. - Physical acceptable, as in everyone has the right to a water and sanitation service that is physically accessible within, or in the immediate vicinity of the household, educational institution, workplace or health institution. - Affordable, as in the water and water facilities and services, must be affordable for all. It is evident Baghere does not have a sufficient or physical acceptable access to safe and acceptable water, as the population has zero access to filtered water, and 86% of households are without a source of portable water (Kaira Looro, 2021). This highlights the current means of water collection is through the Casamance river and a local well, in which the population must travel by foot to obtain water, with water levels likely to diminish during the dry season. However, this recognises that water available to Baghere is of a contaminated and poor quality nature, significantly recognising that the international law which governs the right to sufficient, safe, acceptable and physically accessible and affordable water is not being achieved. To address this situation, a set of key actions have been developed to identify, understand and develop an appropriate system for clean water access for the Women’s Centre based on current practices, capabilities and water sources.
ABPL2077 Humanitarian Construction 2021
18
