Wastewater management in the realization of the rights to water and sanitation 2013, para. 35
Paragraph- Paragraph text
- Agriculture is the largest water user, accounting for about 70 per cent of global water use, hence producing significant amounts of water polluted with pesticides and fertilizers. It contributes to water pollution mainly as a non-point polluter: residues of agricultural production percolate to groundwater aquifers and streams in a manner that is extremely difficult to trace, quantify or regulate. Moreover, livestock rearing poses problems in terms of the disposal of faeces and urine high in nitrate and phosphate, and partly pharmaceuticals. The Special Rapporteur found in Costa Rica that the use of certain pesticides used in large-scale plantations has been associated with cancer when leaching into groundwater (see A/HRC/12/24/Add.1, para. 44). As in other sectors, patterns of inequalities emerge: in one country, research revealed that communities housing high proportions of minority residents are more likely to rely on water that has high levels of nitrates. Such pollution directly endangers the health of water users or indirectly threatens their livelihoods and food supplies through the destruction of ecosystem services.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Means of adoption
- N.A.
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Health
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2013
- Paragraph type
- Other
- Paragraph number
- 35
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