Affordability of water and sanitation services 2015, para. 26

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Affordability provisions in water and sanitation laws are quite common. For instance, in Namibia, the Water Resources Management Act requires ensuring "that all Namibians are provided with an affordable and a reliable water supply that is adequate for basic human needs". In many instances, the challenge is to translate general provisions into concrete affordability standards. Such standards are essential to ensure that tariffs are set in a way that is affordable to people and to ensure accountability. Generally, people are prepared to pay a high price for water because it is essential for so many aspects of a person's life, but this does not justify a high affordability threshold. Willingness-to-pay studies therefore often deliver limited results in terms of people's actual capacity to pay.
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)
  • Economic Rights
  • Equality & Inclusion
  • Water & Sanitation
Person(s) affected
  • All
Year
2015
Paragraph type
Other
Paragraph number
26