The Vatican publishes a document on the right to access to water

Access to clean water is an essential human right that must be defended and protected, declared the Vatican Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Development in a new document.

The defense of the right to drinking water is part of the promotion of the common good by the Catholic Church, "not a particular national agenda", said the dicastery, calling for "water management in order to guarantee universal and sustainable access to it for the future of life, the planet and the human community “.

The 46-page document, entitled "Aqua Fons Vitae: Orientations on Water, Symbol of the Poor of the Poor and the Cry of the Earth," was published by the Vatican on March 30.

The preface, signed by Cardinal Peter Turkson, prefect of the dicastery, and by Msgr. Bruno Marie Duffe, secretary of the ministry, said that the current coronavirus pandemic has shed light on "the interconnectedness of everything, be it ecological, economic, political and social".

“The consideration of water, in this sense, clearly seems to be one of the elements that heavily affect“ integral ”and“ human ”development,” stated the preface.

Water, the preface said, “can be abused, rendered unusable and unsafe, polluted and dissipated, but its absolute necessity for life - human, animal and plant - requires us, in our diverse capacities as religious leaders, politicians and legislators, economic actors and businessmen, farmers living in rural areas and industrial farmers, etc., to jointly show responsibility and pay attention to our common home. "

In a statement published on March 30, the dicastery stated that the document was "rooted in the social teaching of the popes" and examined three main aspects: water for human use; water as a resource for activities such as agriculture and industry; and bodies of water, including rivers, underground aquifers, lakes, oceans and seas.

Access to water, the document states, "can make the difference between survival and death", especially in poor areas where drinking water is scarce.

"While significant progress has been made in the past decade, around 2 billion people still have inadequate access to safe drinking water, which means irregular access or access too far from their home or access to polluted water, which is therefore not suitable for human consumption. Their health is directly threatened, ”the document states.

Despite the UN's recognition of access to water as a human right, in many poor countries, clean water is often used as a bargaining chip and as a means to exploit people, especially women.

"If the authorities do not adequately protect citizens, it happens that officials or technicians in charge of providing water or reading the meters exploit their position to blackmail people unable to pay for water (usually women), asking for sexual intercourse so as not to interrupt the supply. This type of abuse and corruption is called "sextortion" in the water sector, "the ministry said.

Guaranteeing the church's role in promoting access to safe water for all, the ministry urged government authorities to enact laws and structures that "serve the right to water and the right to life".

“Everything must be done in the most sustainable and equitable way for society, the environment and the economy, while allowing citizens to search, receive and share information about water,” the document states.

The use of water in activities such as agriculture is also threatened by environmental pollution and the exploitation of resources which subsequently damage the livelihoods of millions of people and cause "poverty, instability and unwanted migration".

In areas where water is a fundamental resource for fisheries and agriculture, the document states that local churches must "always live according to the preferential option for the poor, that is, when relevant, not just be a mediator. neutral, but to side with those who suffer the most, with those who are most in difficulty, with those who have no voice and see their rights trampled or their efforts frustrated. "

Finally, the increasing pollution of the world's oceans, particularly from activities such as the mining, drilling and extractive industries, as well as the global warning, also poses a significant threat to humanity.

"No nation or society can appropriate or manage this common heritage in a specific, individual or sovereign capacity, accumulating its resources, trampling international law on foot, avoiding the obligation to safeguard it in a sustainable way and make it accessible to future generations and guarantee the survival of life on Earth, our common home, ”the document states.

Local churches, he added, "can sensibly build awareness and solicit an effective response from legal, economic, political and individual leaders" to safeguard resources that are "a legacy that must be protected and passed on to future generations".

The dicastery says that education, particularly in Catholic institutions, can help inform people about the importance of promoting and defending the right of access to clean water and building solidarity between people to protect that right.

“Water is a fabulous element with which to build such relational bridges between people, communities and countries,” the document states. "It can and should be a learning ground for solidarity and collaboration rather than a trigger for conflict"