Water Citizens Network identifies privatization as the biggest threat to the human right to water

As the global community commemorates World Water Day, Water Citizens Network has identified the privatization of water as the most powerful threat to the realization of the human right to water on the African continent.

The Network observed that privatizations of the water sector, including those supported by the World Bank, continue to threaten poor households and public health in general in Africa, and will make it impossible for the continent to achieve the Goal. of sustainable development 6 which advocates availability and sustainable management. and sanitation for all by 2030. Basically, privatization shifts the focus on water management to maximize profits for private investors, rather than ensuring universal access to all, especially low-income people. This fundamental disconnect has been exposed by community groups, union leaders and even UN experts.

The Water Citizens Network cited numerous examples of water privatizations on the continent gone awry and plans underway that point to danger. In Ghana, for example, World Bank-backed privatization was rejected wholeheartedly by civil society and labor groups, leading to significant de-privatization in recent years. In Nigeria, local activists continue to ward off a World Bank-promoted public-private partnership (PPP) model for water privatization. The Cameroonian government recently withdrew from a failed privatization deal involving the water utility, but may now be considering embarking on another privatization deal under the guise of a lack of public funding for the water supply company. The threat of privatization is also significant in virtually every corner of the continent, including Gabon, Kenya and Uganda.

Leonard Shang-Quartey, network coordinator, said:

“The theme of commemorating World Water Day should motivate African governments to act. It is a reminder that the issue of governance is central to guaranteeing universal access to water. They must therefore reject the privatization of water in all its forms and favor sustained public financing in the sector to meet the water needs of the populations ”.

World Water Day has been celebrated since 1993. This commemoration raises awareness of the 2.2 billion people who live without access to drinking water and sanitation. The theme of the 2021 commemoration, Valuable water, addresses issues of environmental, social and cultural value that people place on water.

On the African continent, water is sacred. In households, schools and workplaces, water is linked to health, hygiene, dignity and productivity. In cultural and religious places, it is the link with creation, the community and oneself. In natural spaces, water can be synonymous with peace, harmony and preservation.

People across the continent and around the world have led a movement to confront the perilous privatization of water, and instead offer proven public sector solutions to the water crisis. water.