SHOULD CLEAN WATER AND SANITATION BE A HUMAN RIGHT?

 

SHOULD CLEAN WATER AND SANITATION BE A HUMAN RIGHT?

I believe clean water and sanitation should be a human right. In Colombia, only 17% of the population have a safely managed sanitation service. Clean water and sanitation for all is one of the Sustainable Development Goals we must work on. Sustainable Development Goals, (SDG’s) are important goals set by the United Nations as the agenda of 2030. In class we discussed the difference between human rights and human needs, and we realized that many human needs should be rights as well. There should be no human left behind and there should be no human suffering because of where they live or where they are from. There are basic human needs that we should all have.      

Health is one the first needs, so our class is trying to make a difference. Through this hard time of covid-19, we have done experiments and experiences related to the SDGs; as together as we could be, we made a bunch of nice lunches for the people that wanted or needed them, in the Lincoln Park community. It is important for all humans to be treated right and for no one to be left behind. People are suffering. Billions of people that deserve clean water and sanitation as much as we do, aren’t getting it at all. Water isn’t a privilege. Everyone should have clean water and sanitation. They shouldn’t have to have money to have water, because water is a need. So after discussing and thinking about this problem, we can work on the things to solve the problem. One of the SDG’s we talked about was SDG #6, (clean water and sanitation). Today I’ll be talking about this goal.

Here are some of the reasons why we should help people get clean water and sanitation. In Sudan, 77% of the population, or almost 12 Chicagos can’t even wash hands. In Colombia 83% of the population, or almost 15 Chicagos don’t have a safely managed sanitation service. When I think of human rights I think about what humans need. We get rights for things we need, like the right to an education. But is everyone really getting that? Clean water and sanitation is one of the first human needs. People misunderstand this, and I’m here to explain it.

To understand this better, we need to understand Maslow's hierarchy of needs. “Maslow’s hierarchy of needs” is a human motivation theory. When you think about it, it makes sense that humans have to go through different steps to need the next thing on the list. According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, this is the order for most humans; Physiological needs, safety needs, love and belonging, esteem, and then lastly self actualization.

If humans need these things to get to the next motivation, then it shouldn’t be taken from them. Water and sanitation are physiological/safety needs. They are one of the most important needs which is why they are at the bottom of the hierarchy. People deserve to have this. If the world is going to end, at least make sure people are happy with their lives when it does. It really is just not fair at all when some people have a surplus of water and some have none. If we make water and sanitation a right, the world will be happier, better, more equal, and more right. A big consequence of not having clean water and sanitation is it causes a big problem in health for many people. If this need is being fulfilled, there will be less need for hospitalizations and emergencies, and there will be more happy people. The number of people getting sick and hospitalized will go down significantly. We must fulfill this need; we can do a lot more than what we are doing now, in order to help people in need of clean water and sanitation. To fulfill this need of all people having clean water and sanitation is making clean water free, making sure we aren’t polluting the water, making sure a filter is available everywhere where it is needed, and much more. 

Health is one of the first things you need in Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Having clean water and sanitation is a big part of health. Humans need clean water and sanitation, because humans need good health. Health is important for humans to be able to move onto the next motivation, so that's why I think health/clean water and sanitation should be a right for all humans.

       

Garbage by the Des Plaines river.

(Picture of me by the water taken by me)

                           

No author listed. (2020). Home. Retrieved September 27, 2020, from https://www.sdg6data.org/ 

No author listed. (2020, May 5). Hand Hygiene Day. Retrieved September 27, 2020, from https://www.who.int/news-room/events/detail/2020/05/05/default-calendar/hand-hygiene-day

No author listed. (2019, June 18). 1 in 3 people globally do not have access to safe drinking water – UNICEF, WHO. Retrieved September 27, 2020, from https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/18-06-2019-1-in-3-people-globally-do-not-have-access-to-safe-drinking-water-unicef-who

No author listed. (2016, July 13). Stories of Success in Kenya! Water For Life... Retrieved September 27, 2020, from https://globalangels.org/stories-of-success-in-kenya-water-for-life/