Water for human consumption is above any industrial or business use, warn a group of experts from the United Nations regarding the crisis facing Uruguay.

Sixty percent of Uruguay’s population faces a shortage of drinking water and Uruguayan health authorities have requested people to buy bottled water for drinking.

Water quality in Uruguay has dropped to alarmingly low levels of salinity, especially affecting children and adolescents, pregnant women and people suffering from chronic diseases, as well as other vulnerable groups.

De facto privatisation

A group of UN human rights experts warned in a statement on Thursday (13 July) that the measure “creates a risk of de facto privatisation of water for human consumption, forcing the population to buy water”.

The government recommended reducing household water consumption, but has not applied the same restrictions to large-scale consumers, including industries that use water for production.

The special rapporteurs recalled that while high salt levels are attributed to the failure of water infrastructure aggravated by abnormally long periods without rainfall, the underlying problem is overexploitation of water, especially by some industries in the country.

“Uruguay must prioritise human consumption, as stated in international human rights standards,” they stressed.

They also alluded to warnings they have made over the years that the expansion of concessions to water-intensive industries was contaminating water and causing water shortages in the country.

Human consumption is minimal

“Water for human consumption represents only 5 percent of the total drinking water supply. Therefore, not prioritising its use is unacceptable,” the experts stressed.

They stressed that the human right to water implies that it should be physically accessible, free of pollutants and managed in a sustainable manner, respecting human dignity, equality and non-discrimination.

In this regard, they expressed particular concern concerning the situation of people who cannot afford to buy water and those with disabilities or reduced mobility who cannot carry water.

Corporate responsibility

For fundamental rights specialists, companies, including state-owned enterprises, “have a responsibility to respect human rights at all times”.

Moreover, states “have an obligation to ensure the protection of this right by ensuring universal access to safe drinking water, including during emergencies,” they added.

The special rapporteurs noted that the Uruguayan government has worked to reduce water taxes. However, they pointed out that the most important thing at the moment is to ensure that all people have access to the water necessary for life.

The experts signing the communiqué are Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation; Damilola Olawuyi (Chair), Robert McCorquodale (Vice-Chair), Fernanda Hopenhaym, Elżbieta Karska and Pichamon Yeophantong, Working Group on Business and Human Rights.

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With information from UN News.