This booklet, published by the Hesperian Foundation, provides practical guidance on how communities can achieve access to water. It explains the relationships between water security and health, including: health problems arising from a lack of water; problems such as diarrhoea and worm infections from unsafe water; and effects of toxic chemicals such as arsenic in water. It also outlines how to develop a plan for community water security, plan improvements to the water supply, protect groundwater sources, collect rainwater, transport and store water safely, and make water safe for drinking and cooking.
The booklet advocates partnerships between government and communities to provide water security. It argues that water privatisation can lead to raised prices, forcing people to reduce the amount of water they use, which leads to serious health risks – or to find places where they can collect water for free, which takes time and hard work, and may not be safe. A final section highlights international agreements that protect the human right to safe water. As water grows scarce and becomes a source of conflict, it calls for communities, governments and international agencies to work hard to defend the right to water for today and for the future.
