Sustainability and non-retrogression in the realisation of the rights to water and sanitation 2013, para. 52
Paragraph- Paragraph text
- Neglecting the rights of marginalized people violates human rights law and its fundamental principle of non-discrimination. Moreover, doing so might render services unsustainable. When a water and sanitation system is designed for a city or town with a certain number of inhabitants, ignoring the affordability challenges faced by poorer people will mean these people will eventually be disconnected from services. Those numbers can rise significantly in times of crisis; in such cases the system becomes unsustainable and underfunded, unless tariffs increase for those who stay connected (which in turn might lead to more disconnections). On the other hand, the inclusion of those previously excluded from water and sanitation networks, such as slum dwellers, will bring more revenues to the system and promote a more sustainable use of water resources, as everybody will contribute to paying for the system. In many instances, paying regular tariffs will be significantly more affordable to people than paying for informal services at often exorbitant prices. Finally, from an environmental perspective, extending networked provision also contributes to sustainability as unauthorized abstraction from groundwater sources will be significantly reduced.
- 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
- Equality & Inclusion
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2013
- Paragraph type
- Other
- Paragraph number
- 52
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