Access to Clean Water
is a Human Right
Access to water is recognized as a fundamental human right by the United Nations. People in every country have the right to have sufficient, safe, acceptable, physically accessible, and affordable water for personal and domestic use, as defined by the UN.
In 2015, the United Nations created the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a shared action plan aiming to end poverty, protect the planet and provide peace and prosperity for all by 2030. Part of this plan is to achieve a better future is the call for universal access to clean water: Goal 6 aims to provide safe and affordable drinking water for all. While the 17 Goals are interlinked, there are several that are particularly related to, or affected by, drinking water issues:
- No poverty: Goal 1
- Good health and well-being: Goal 3
- Quality education: Goal 4
- Gender equality: Goal 5
- Access to water and sanitation for all: Goal 6
- Climate action: Goal 13
- Life Below Water: Goal 14
Although great strides have been made to reach these goals, each day about 1,500 children under the age of 5 die from diarrheal disease, mainly related to their access of clean water, hygiene and sanitation. Nearly two-thirds of a billion people do not have access to any improved or engineered water point within a 30-minute round-trip from their home. We can and need to do more!
Serena Williams introduces the Worlds Largest Lesson for Global Goals