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Water and sanitation

Clean water and sanitation – recently recognised by the United Nations as basic human rights – are critical to good health. They help prevent disease. Yet billions of people have no ready access to safe water. It is an essential service that governments must provide to protect their citizens and serve their common good. Read more here

Achieving pay equity in Peru’s public water industry

02 November 2015

Over the last two years, PSI has implemented a pilot project of gender neutral job evaluation and the construction of a map of health security risks in EPSEL, the public water enterprise of Lambayeque in the city of Chiclayo in the north of Peru.

Building workers’ power in the utilities sector in Asia Pacific

12 September 2015

PSI affiliates in the water and electricity sector and local governments/municipalities met in Manila on 11 September to strengthen joint work within these sectors, highlight the failure of the massive wave of privatisation sweeping the Asia and Pacific region (AP), and propose long term solutions.

European Parliament resolution supports public ownership and water management

10 September 2015
Water is a human right

PSI joins many others in congratulating the European water movement for the important vote in the European Parliament on 8 September.

Public finance and democratic control are key to achieving the SDGs

06 July 2015

PSI Deputy General Secretary David Boys, and Satoko Kishimoto, coordinator of the Reclaiming Public Water Network and the Water Justice Project at the Transnational Institute (TNI) have published a post on the Public Finance for WASH blog.

European Parliament Environment Committee supports ECI on human right to water and sanitation

02 July 2015

The demands of the first ever successful European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) Right2Water received overwhelming support from Members of the European Parliament, who voted on an own-initiative report in the Environment Committee on 25 June 2015.

French constitutional council bans water cut-offs

02 June 2015
Conseil Constitutionnel

French multinationals must comply. No water provider may cut-off or disconnect service from a primary residence, even if the bills have not been paid. The decision is final, without appeal.

Water and sanitation as a human right!

11 May 2015
Water fountain

PSI and its affiliates actively support the human right to water initiatives, including the current lobbying pressure on national governments negotiating policies and priorities in the United Nations.

PSI signs cooperation agreement with water support network

30 April 2015

At a meeting held during the IAMRECON in Mexico on 20-24 April 2015, PSI signed a cooperation agreement with the WATERLAT-GOBACIT Network to develop research, teaching and related activities in areas of common interest.

In UK, private water companies must provide environmental information on request

20 April 2015

A recent ruling by the UK's Upper Tribunal has ruled that privatised utility companies in England and Wales are considered to be public authorities for the purpose of environmental information regulations. The judgement means that water companies must provide environmental information to the public upon request.

2015 Daegu Gyoungbuk declaration on the Human right to water

20 April 2015
Participants of the 2015 Daegu Alternative World Water Forum - 14 April 2015

PSI affiliates and NGO allies gathered in Korea during the World Water Forum to continue the struggle for water justice. The following declaration was written by Korean and global water justice groups gathered at the Daegu Alternative Water Forum.

The global experience with remunicipalisation

08 April 2015

TNI, PSIRU, Multinational Observatory, MSP and EPSU have launched a new book on the emerging remunicipalisation trend and the questions it poses about the future of water privatisation.

Why are so many cities choosing to end privatisation and return to public water services?

08 April 2015
Our public water future

In the run-up to the 2015 World Water Forum in South Korea on April 12, Transnational Institute with four organisations[1] have released new research on the growing wave of cities worldwide that are taking previously privatised water supply and sanitation services back under public control, in a process called remunicipalisation.

Nigerian trade unionists push to stop water privatization

01 April 2015

In Nigeria, tens of thousands of people are standing together to protect their water from global corporations. With one voice, they have taken up a call: Our Water, Our Right. They have issued a powerful demand for the Lagos government to reject privatization plans.

Jakarta court cancels world's biggest water privatisation after 18-year failure

25 March 2015
KRuHA - People's Coalition for The Right To Water

25 March 2015 – The Central Jakarta District Court on 24 March annulled the water privatisation contracts of Suez (PT PAM Lyonnaise Jaya – Palyja) and Aetra, finding that the Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) were negligent in fulfilling the human right to water for Jakarta’s residents.

World Water Day 2015

20 March 2015

On 22 March 2015, World Water Day, PSI calls on water justice activists around the world to continue fighting for public and community control of water and sanitation services, to battle the contamination of watersheds, resist water grabs and demand water justice for all.