The right to water and the duty to preserve it – 03/26/2023 – Marcia Castro

The last day 22 marked the World Water Day, and the opening of the Water Conference, held by the United Nations (UN). The conference takes place halfway through the International Decade of Action for Water (2018-2028), a UN commitment to mobilize action for sustainability. The conference ended last Friday (24th) with the adoption of an ambitious agenda with more than 700 items to promote preservation.

Access to clean water and sanitation was declared a human right by the UN in 2010 and 2015, respectively. Still, in 2020 around 2 billion people in the world (25% of the population) did not have access to water and 3.6 billion (46% of the population) did not have access to adequate sanitation.

In Brazil, according to the Sanitation Ranking, 35 million people do not have access to water and around 100 million do not have access to sewage collection. Only 51% of the generated sewage is treated and about 37% of the produced water is lost in the distribution. Each of these indicators presents regional inequalities. For example, among the capitals, Porto Velho presents the worst indicators: only 26% and 6% of the population have access to water and sewage collection, respectively.

Global water consumption has grown by about 1% per year over the last 40 years and is expected to continue through 2050 due to population growth, economic development and consumption patterns. However, this growth faces the challenge of scarcity due to pollution and waste. In addition, extreme weather events can cause drought in some areas and flooding in others.

Water pollution occurs due to the disposal of untreated sewage, chemicals and industrial and domestic waste, use of fertilizers in agriculture and use of mercury in mining. In Brazil, the disorderly process of urbanization, agricultural practices and illegal mining in the Amazon contribute to water pollution.

In addition to compromising drinking water reserves, pollution causes various diseases, such as diarrhea, dysentery and cholera, among others. According to the Sanitation Atlas, these three diseases alone accounted for 85% of hospitalizations and 41% of deaths from diseases related to inadequate environmental sanitation between 2008 and 2019, disproportionately concentrated in the North and Northeast regions.

As for extreme weather events, Brazil already observes the intensification of periods of scarcity and seasonal excess of water. At the moment, families in several cities in Acre and Maranhão are homeless because of the rains, while part of Rio Grande do Sul is facing an exceptional drought, the most intense category according to Drought Monitor.

Here I highlight the importance of the Amazon rainforest in this discussion. Deforestation affects the pattern of rainfall and the emission and storage of carbon. In 2021, Brazil saw the biggest increase in emissions in two decades, mainly due to deforestation, and it was estimated that the Amazon emitted more carbon than it removed from the atmosphere. Furthermore, deforested areas receive less rain and the duration of the dry season in the Amazon is already longer than the historical average.

The consequences of this process are not restricted to the Amazon. They are global!

Water is essential for life and sustainable development. It represents about 70% of our planet. It sounds like a lot, but only 3% of the planet’s water is fresh, about two thirds is frozen or unavailable for use and part is polluted.

The vision of a sustainable planet where inhabitants live in a healthy way does not exist without water and without the forest. If access to water is a right, preservation is a duty for each one of us.

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