by V. Kumar

Created on: June 16, 2008

It is said that common sense is very uncommon. If you do not believe it to be so, then take a look at the following words.

"Access to safe water is a fundamental human need and, therefore, a basic human right. Contaminated water jeopardizes both the physical and social health of all people. It is an affront to human dignity."

These words are taken from the message of the Secretary General of United Nations Kofi Annan, on 22nd March 2001, on the occasion of World Water Day. UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, in the 'General Comment No.15 of 2002' declared, "Water is a limited natural resource and a public good fundamental for life and health. 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."

'Human rights' refer to rights recognised by the global community in 'Universal Declaration of human rights', adopted by UN Member States. Admitting that right to water is fundamental to other rights is stating the obvious. Without water there cannot be life, without clean water there cannot be health and without sufficient water there cannot be a life with dignity. Accepting water as a basic human right is a necessary step for developing a modern global society based on respect for human life and dignity.

Water is not just a good, it is a 'MERIT GOOD' deserved to be supplied to every human being, irrespective of his ability of pay. In fact, even as per the accepted capitalistic economic principles of the day, the right to water can not be sacrificed for either profits or economic efficiency.

In economics, the concept of 'pareto optimality' dictates that free market will ensure optimal production and distribution of any good. However, in case of 'merit good' like water, pareto optimality through free market dynamics can only be attained AFTER a certain minimum quantity of clean and safe water is available to every individual. Unless that is done, the resultant social welfare and utility will always be sub-optimal and the net result will always be inefficient.

All this seems to suggest that right to water is an obvious choice. Yet on 26th March this year, a special resolution proposed by Germany and Spain at the 'United Nations human rights council' meet was stripped of references that recognized access to water as a human right, primarily due to resistance from the United States and Canada, who were adamant not to let the 'water as a right' come in the way of their resolutions in NAFTA which recognises water as a commodity and protects the rights of corporations to sell water.

As I said earlier, common sense is not so common.

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