Who owns water? Is access to clean water a human right?
This is the link to the article that you will be responding to.
Most Water-Stressed Country in Central America
http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=53821
Remember, you need to write a 300 word opinion/reaction to the article by Friday, June 17. You then have between Friday, June 17 and Friday, June 24 to respond to one of your classmate's posts. Please see the calendar page, the link for which is on the right.
Additionally, you should take a look at the links below to familiarize yourself with the issue a bit more. This will give you some context when you read the article. I don't expect you to spend too much time, but take a few minutes to explore the sites and get an idea for the scope of the issue.
This is a 7 minute report that you can listen to. Highly recommended!
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122195532
Read about water in Bolivia. There is also a 20 minute news story you can watch.
http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/bolivia/thestory.html
These next three links are pretty cool.
A map of places where there have been conflicts over water:
http://www.worldwater.org/conflict/map/
A time line of water conflict through the centuries:
http://www.worldwater.org/conflict/timeline/
A list chronology that can be sorted, for example to see only Latin America:
http://www.worldwater.org/conflict/list/
I don't want to sound harsh with my opinions on whether water is a human right, but I'm not completely sure it is. I can understand people who say it is since it's a common necessity, but just as people need food, shelter, etc., they are not considered human rights. Thus, I don't see what makes water so different. Nonetheless, I do agree people have the right to live, which is why I firmly believe people should do anything possible to allow people to do so (one of these ways, by providing water). I think lack of water is a problem since it infringes on people's right to live, not because water is really a human right.
ReplyDeleteThese articles reminded me of a documentary we saw with Ms. Bailey the last days of school, which was called "Blue Gold". I thought it was really interesting as it talked a lot about the water issue and how it has led to problems in places like Bolivia and Europe where companies like Suez took control of Paris's (I believe... I'm not completely sure) This is where I think the problems come. Because companies can practically mandate how much water costs, it can at one point keep people from being able to purchase the one item they really need to survive if it become too expensive.
Likewise, the article on El Salvador made me think of how ironic it is for a country that receives so much rainfall to have so very few people have access to it. I think the problem is similar to what happened in France and Bolivia where water became “privatized”. According to the article, the government and private businesses have taken advantage of it, making it hard for water to become affordable. I am not sure as to how to solve this problem except for destroying or reforming these businesses, but I have also read that another problem as to why water cannot be well distributed in El Salvador is because of its poor infrastructure. Maybe if this would be fixed, it would not be as bad. Likewise, I remember watching in “Blue Gold” that holes can be dug up in the ground that would catch rainfall and keep them from “escaping” the normal rhythm of the water cycle. I think this would be a solution that would allow people to have access to water, one of the many things that protects people their right to life.
There is no more important resource for human survival than water yet it is one of the worlds most scarce resources only 2.5% of water is fresh yet water is very cheap and in many cases misused and wasted. Water shortages will eventually lead the worlds problems since people dont understand the importance of water and everyone takes it for granted that water will always be avalible yet this is saddly not the case as water is being quickly used in un-regulated manners.
ReplyDeleteAll humans need water to live and its a human right to have clean water. Water is owned by everyone yet the goverment should regulate its usage since its very scarce. Regulations are neccesary so that the water supplies are used properly. When privatization of water supply occurs it brings many problems such as, high cost, lack of water and eventually violence. What happened in Bolivia is foreshadowing what could happen worldwide if water usage is not regulated, there is evidence that water disputes have increased over the years as population rise and water demand rises also violence and disputes rise. El Salvador is following the same path as Bolivia, the unbalanced and unregulated water usage could eventually lead El Salvador to another civil war. Although I strongly belive that water is owned by everyone, there should be a price for it since it is such a scarce resource and needs to be preserved. People which use a lot of water should be charged more than people who do not use as much. This regulations would eventually help to save water and avoid many problems. Regulations have been succesful in many countries such as the USA which used alot of water yet its water consumption is the same although its population has increased.
In conclusion everyone has the right to clean water since it is a resource which everyone needs to survive yet ceartain regulations are neccesary so that water is used properly and equaly by everyone. If water is used properly many world issues could be avoided including a future in which water shortage will cause wars. Regulations such as the ones in the USA should be adopted so that water usage is controlled and equal.
Water is one of the most, if not the most, important resources on our planet. Without water there cannot be life. However, water is sometimes not that easy to get, or at least clean water. All living things need water to survive so I think it is a human right to have access to clean water because it is not fair having some people receiving all the clean water they need, usually rich people, and then others without having this opportunity, usually poor people, having to get water from rivers or lakes which is most of the time contaminated.
ReplyDeleteIt is incredible to see how the world depends so much on water and how unfair it is for some people who cannot get the water they need to survive. Unbelievably, water is starting to run out now, and some countries are starting to be more affected than others. El Salvador, for example, is believed to be hit hardest by water shortages. People should start worrying about their use and emission of greenhouse gases because although Central America does not produce the most amounts, it is still highly affected by them. On the other hand, we are living in the most water-stressed country in the world: El Salvador; and people are still not worrying about this. Deforestation continues to take place and along with El Salvador’s high population density, leads to high demand for water which is of course not available to everyone. It is really unfair how only the rich people in urban areas of the country have access to real potable water while the rest of the population living in rural areas need to rely on non-potable for survival and surprisingly, this water from rivers and lakes is also dying because of the high demand. This is where we can see how water should be considered a human right, because we need it and everybody should be able to have it clean. The government does not really seem to involve in the country’s environmental problems. Rich people pay a low amount of fee for getting potable water while the poor pay almost the same for non-potable water. So, where is the government when needed? The poor people are calling for help; they need water and if we do not start using it wisely, who will? Clearly not the government, they seem to be involved in what they think are better aspects for the country, while life is being threatened by the most important resource on Earth.
I think water is the most important resource to survive on this planet. Without water people get dehydrated and therefore they die. Three fourths of water covers the planet and it is a resourse that people have to use consciously since it is dissapering more each time. Our human body is made of water. Basically everything requires water in some way.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately water is dissaspering on many places on the world like El Salvador. One of the most deforestared country in Latin America with its population of 300 inhabitants per square kilometer and 63 percent of the population lives in cities that lead to a high demand in water. People at El Salvador who have hard time receiving water have no option other than use non-potable water from rivers. These rivers later start to dissapear or shrink and it becomes a problem since it is a high demand. When summertime comes rural families reach problems since rivers dry up. I think that this is injustice since basically only rich people have the rapid access to water and don’t confront problems. On October ANDA notice that around 3,000 businesses and homes had no water meters and paid 2.29 dollars for non-potable water. While the rich pay around the same amount but having the access of potable water. It is really sad to think that Julio Cesar Amaya gets up each day at 1:00 AM to turn the faucet so he receives water. Sometimes unfortunately he doesn’t receive water for three days but still wakes up at 1:00 AM. Here is where the government and country needs to get involve in the water problem because not everyone would like to wakeup at 1:00 AM to receive water. It is not fair for the poor to suffer while the rich receive clean water. The government and organizations should seek and provide potable water to those extensive rural places as the city has.
I agree with Glori, for me water is the most important resource in our planet, without it there is no life like she said. Living things need water to survive. There has to be clean water for everyone, it is not fair that some people usually the rich have clean water and the poor people have to fight to even find non-potable water. Since she said that it is not fair for some people usually the poor to get water from rivers or lake it reminded me of something. Once I was on the road I passed through some contaminated river and I just saw millions of people swimming and other washing their clothes. It makes me said to think about it since they are swimming in water with bacteria and they are washing their clothes with water that stinks. It is not fair for them to live with this non-potable water. I agree with Glori that the government is not getting involved on this huge problem.
ReplyDeleteWater is indeed a vital resource for survival. It is needed by anyone and everyone who uses it as energy to store and later use. This document was very interesting and very shocking to me because I know how valuable fresh water is and I can’t imagine how harsh life would be if such an evident daily struggle for water would be part of my monotonous day. Water should be granted to everyone because having such an importance in life it is not fair for people to suffer due to lack of regulations and misused potable water. Moreover people who have an economic disadvantage and also have water shortages have to buy enough fresh water at overpriced sales just to maintain a stable and safe environment to live in.
ReplyDeleteEveryone should have the right to have a stable water source that they can depend on without worrying of shortages or “droughts”. The only reasonable solution for a plan of equal distribution of water can only by successfully achieved by regulations. This document emphasizes on the injustice of wealthy communities having to pay only a very small percentage of what they actually consume with a pay of about $2.29 a month when other rural communities habituated with citizens that have less economic income have to pay sometimes up to $2 for a barrel of fresh water. This water issue is most present in developing countries such as El Salvador. The cause of it is that the government is not advanced enough to maintain a stable water supply for all areas occupied by Salvadorian citizens. This is all a sign for all the harm that are being caused because of the abusive treatment of nature and the harmful excessive accumulation of greenhouse gas emissions produced. Ironically even though central america generates minimal greenhouse gas it is a perfect example of how it affects the entire world regardless if most of the harm is not done by your nation or in this case El Salvador.
In addition the best way to solve this water issue that a large part of the population of El Salvador is suffering is by creating strong regulations to evenly spread fresh water to all communities. Moreover in order to avoid any future issues the best way to maintain a good environment is by taking care of nature and living a more eco-friendly lifestyle.
I agree with Francisco Javier because it is true that water is one of the most important resources, yet one of the scarcest. It is unfair that because water is very cheap people take it for granted and they think that it is always going to be there when they need it so they can waste it and misuse it. However, people do not see the real problem and as he said, they do not understand the importance of water. I also agree with him because I also think the government should do something to preserve and take care of water because they almost do nothing about it even though they see the different problems presented regarding water shortages. I also believe that water should belong to everyone and it should be fair for everyone to have the same access to water equally.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with those that have said that water is necessary and we should do anything possible to preserve it, but I still disagree with the idea that water is a human right and that it should be distributed among everyone. I know. I sound heartless, but my reasoning behind this is that if we consider water a human right because it's a necessity, wouldn't that make everything else also have to be considered a rightt? What makes water so different from food or clothes? Considering it a right means that the government would have to give it to everyone, which I think creates problems. In a way, I believe that requiring people to pay for water might actually keep prices down. If you have two companies, for example Dasani and Aquafina competing to see who can sell more water, they will ultimately want to sell their water at the lowest price, maintaining a balance. Nonetheless, I do recognize that this does not solve the problem completely. As what has happened in El Salvador, many people are still paying unfair prices for water. This is where I think the government should come into play. In El Salvador, I believe the governement should invest in the infrastructure so that water becomes accesable. Gabriela's anecdote is a sad reality, and it's in cases like these that I think the government should become involved. I think the government should help people have access to water, but not necessarily distribute it.
ReplyDeleteI agree completely with what Francisco Javier had to say about the necessity and the value that water is and has. It is evident that it is needed and the article that we all read proves how it can affect entire communities when it is scarce. Francisco emphasized not only the importance of water but also the misused water and the unfair distribution of it throughout the nation. As he explains in his writing, the necessary regulations for water distribution are not being followed nor respected and it is this lack of organization that is creating major issues in the lives of thousands salvadorians such as the man mentioned in the article.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Alejandro comments because it is obious that water is being distributed in unfair ways. The people who are poor have to pay more money for less water than people in wealthy communities. I also think thats ironic that Central America produces minimal green house gas yet it is one of the most affected as Alejandro said. I to agree with Alejandro that in order to improve people life El Salvador should have stronger regulations so that water can be distributed fairly among everyone this way, people will have a better lifestyle while also saving water and the enviorment.
ReplyDeleteWithout water many living things would become extinct throughout time. Water is a necessity that is not optional, like coke or tea, we need it in order for our body to have energy and survive. If we do not drink it humans and other objects might dehydrate and in reaction for that comes death. I think that water is a human right because humans have the authority to live and do anything that enables them to exist. As stated above, water is an important element in humans, but they act as if water is some kind of privilege for the wealthier not caring the poor people’s health that includes the necessity of water as well.
ReplyDeleteSince water is running out time by time we have to stop wasting it in many ways as living the faucet running. El Salvador would be the most affected with water decreasing. This is due since El Salvador is the country with the most water-stress, deforested countries in L.A, and because there is a high amount of population that live in the city which means that there is a higher demand for water use. It also is unbalanced because they give more water privileges to richer people compared to the poor who get less and need more to survive. ANDA (water company) found out in October that in about 3,000 homes and business in high-class parts paid an absurd amount of $2.29 to have more potable water while the poor pay the same for non potable water. People like Julio Cesar Amaya have to get up at 1 in the morning because it is the only time that water is in his neighborhood and it is definitely not fair. Since in summer the rivers dry up it become another problem to the country’s social and environmental harm. In conclusion there is water where there is money. The government and other people have to get their hands in use and fix this problem. It is not fair that rich people get more water easier than the poor people because we are all humans an should be seen as equal. For me water is considered humans right because we humans need it to survive and for it to happen we first need to clean it. There should be an organization that support and take action to regulate the water distribution and save it for what it might become.
Water is such an important resource in our life, without it people can die. It is one of our main resources; we all depend on it even for the smaller things. The planet is filled mostly of water and yet it is one of the most difficult resources to obtain. When we have the privilege of not having the difficulty of finding water we think other people have it easy too but they do not. They work really hard to get it.
ReplyDeleteNo one owns water. The problem is some people have more access to it than others. The ones who are in most need of it are the ones who have the most difficulty to obtain. The water in El Salvador is slowly running out. In a couple of years it will be the most effected country in the demand of water. The demand for water will go up and it will reach 300 percent by 2050 and more than 1600 percent by 2100, as said in the article. People are really struggling to have enough water to live and stay clean and wash clothes and for every other necessity they use it for. Every time the water runs by their houses like at 1 am in the morning, they wake up quickly to re fill their buckets of water. They make a lot of effort just to keep their families healthy and together. The poor always get it worse than the rich. It is very unfair for the poor that the rich people are paying a very small amount of money for all their water use during a month while the poor have to pay about the same amount of money for a barrel of water. Access to water is a necessity for everyone and I think that at a point it also becomes a human right. If one part of a country is granted water that another part of a country has also need to be granted with water. It might not be easy but it has to be fair for all.