Water Crisis: Is the world really running out of water?

Introduction

In the past few decades, drought as hit many countries and regions of the world including China, southeast Australia, the Mediterranean and the sun belt of United States. While human consumption of water is increasing day by day and has almost tripled since 1950, the consumption of renewable water resources has increased six-fold. In the next 40 years, the population of the world will increase by another 50 to 60%, coupled with urbanization and industrialization, will definitely cause an increased demand for water resources which will put some serious negative impact on environment. Water is essential and vital to human life not only for basic survival and health, but also for economic activities and food production. Without any doubt, living things on the planet earth are currently facing a global water crisis that has affected over 3 billion people. Over 1 billion people have completely lost their access to clean and safe water resources and over 2 billion people have inadequate access to sanitation which is considered to be the primary cause of water borne diseases. In International arena, it has been argued frequently that recognition of water as a basic human right will facilitate the mankind to make progress towards addressing this global challenge of providing people with the most basic element of life, water. International debate on the water crisis and its provision as basic human right has a recurring theme which recognizes the status of water as 'necessary precondition to all the basic human rights. Without equitable and adequate access to minimally required clean water, other basic human rights that are established and recognized by humankind (the right to access adequate well being and health, political and civil rights etc.) are not attainable. It is widely believed that the language of universal declaration of human rights that forms the basis for the subsequent declaration, wasn't all-inclusive, at least not intended to be. The language was designed to reflect the basic elements and components of adequate and sufficient standard of living. The declared human rights didn't include water as basic human right due to its nature. Water, among other elements like air, is basic to the level that its explicit inclusion in the declaration of basic rights was thought unnecessary.

Discussion

Guaranteed access to all kinds of water resources is basic right of humans, or the value of water resources should determine their price given the commodity's increasing scarcity. This question is at the heart of global debate for threats and their management to the water resources of the world which increasing is resulting due to competition for water among households, farming, and industry. This question is also critical in all the efforts on the part of governments and environment protection agencies and NGOs aimed at protecting environmental viability of aquifers, lakes and rivers in the long run.

Many advocates and policy makers are of the view that water should be recognized as basic human right which is essential to end the sufferings ...