Is water a RIGHT, or just a NEED?

As you may seen, the World Water Council sponsored World Water Forum recently recognized "safe drinking water" as a basic human need, but stopped short of calling it a basic human right. The same council, comprised of members from 150 countries, recognize the issue as central to quality of life and acknowledge that approx. 1 billion people around the world lack access to safe drinking water, with 2.5 billion lacking access to proper sanitation services.

This perhaps subtle dissention of wording is reflective of a fiercely heated battle that is brewing over water infrastructure the world over. The fact is that modern and safe water infrastructure is either non-existent around much of the globe, or is old and inadequate. To upgrade pumps, pipes, and water treatment equipment will never be "affordable" under any current funding model that I am aware of.

This is all an extension of an issue we have been up against for years in our very own backyard. There are over 3000 small public water systems in British Columbia that require upgrades to their water infrastructure just to meet current demand and/or provide some basic level of protection against contamination. The scrutiny from the Provincial government has been much more pronounced since the tragedy in Walkerton, but little movement has been made in most jurisdictions. It seems that time and time again, the show-stopper comes down to money. Without a way to fund and finance these projects, too many just don't get past an initial review or the design stage.

The lack of commitment from the World Water Forum to call safe water a "right" reflects the colossal problem facing our developing and developed nations - a problem of available capital to fund the required development. I believe we are strongly in need of some creative solutions to deploy the solutions to those areas that need it most. Fortunately there's no shortage of bright minds and willing players to chip away at the problem. Here's hoping the global recession will strongarm even more innovation into an industry that really is up against one of the most challenging health and safety issues in the world!