Water and sanitation

22 March was marked as World Water Day in Lagos with a demonstration in defence of the right to water. The demonstration which drew about 500 persons was organised by the “Our Water, Our Right” coalition. It was a continuation of the struggle against privatisation of water by the state government which has yielded some results, with amendments to the Environment bill before it was passed into law on 1st March.

PSI has criticized the entire privatization exercise of federal government, describing it as unfavorable to workers. In a parallel development, the Lagos State Council of Trade Union Congress (TUC) has decried the recent bill passed by the Lagos State House of Assembly, denying Lagosians access to water.

Check out our General Secretary Rosa Pavanelli discussing our work alongside our affiliates on the Human Right to Water and why it is so important at a special seminar held at the Vatican by Pope Francis. Trade Unions, NGOs, UN Human Rights experts and the Pope all agree: Water is a human right and needs to be governed publicly, in the public interest. Not by profit-maximizing private corporations.

Last November, the National Assembly of Slovenia passed an amendment to its Constitution to include a new article that recognizes the Human Right to Water. The amendment affirms water should be treated as a public good managed by the state, not as a commodity, and that drinking water must be supplied by the public sector on a not-for-profit basis.

The Our Water Our Right coalition, fighting privatisation of water in Lagos (Nigeria), stepped up the pressure by releasing a report called "Lagos water crisis: Alternative roadmap for water sector". This new publication critiques the history of poor public administration, picks apart the deficiencies of decades of World Bank driven privatisation policies, and presents the way forward for the city administration to implement human rights obligations by ensuring universal access to water for all Lagosians. 

PSI affiliates in Mauritius launch joint campaign following announcements by the Public Utilities Minister that privatisation of the Central Water Authority was unavoidable and, more recently, that water rates will be increased. The increase could be as high as 20-30% according to some reports.