The Lancet: Dangerous disregard for the right to water
Editorial Board

“On this year’s Human Rights Day, Dec. 10, current events in the USA suggest that a key human right is being dangerously disregarded. Access to water is an indispensable part of life, health, and dignity. In 2010, the U.N. General Assembly recognized the human right to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation; the U.S. has yet to agree and ratify this view. … Disregarding the importance of water as a human right has health consequences. But it also allows for the view that water is a commodity rather than a public good, which is similarly dangerous. Privatizing water supplies shifts the power from people to corporations, and cannot ensure safe, clean, accessible, and affordable water supply. Recognizing the right to water can. It is a right worth fighting for” (12/10).