UN Expert Urges Global Management of Water as a Public Commons to Protect Human Rights and Ecosystems

Arrojo-Agudo called for a human rights-based approach to water management, emphasizing the need for non-discrimination, equal participation, transparency, and accountability.

Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights to water and sanitation, has called for water and aquatic ecosystems to be managed as public commons, accessible to all but not subject to private appropriation. In his report to the 57th UN Human Rights Council session, Arrojo-Agudo stressed the need to differentiate between water required for sustaining life and water used for economic purposes, urging governments to prioritize the former.

"How can we assign a monetary value to the water essential for public health? Can the water used to grow avocados for export even compare to the value needed for families' well-being?" he questioned. He argued that treating water as a commodity subject to market forces undermines the fundamental human right to water, leaving access to essential resources in the hands of corporations, based on who can pay.

Arrojo-Agudo called for a human rights-based approach to water management, emphasizing the need for non-discrimination, equal participation, transparency, and accountability. He stressed that aquatic ecosystems are a shared natural heritage, and their sustainability must be preserved for the benefit of all, including future generations.

The Special Rapporteur urged governments to adopt global agreements and institutions to ensure a collective responsibility for managing the water cycle and addressing the climate crisis, calling it a vital democratic challenge in realizing human rights to water and sanitation.