Having safe water to drink should be regarded as an inalienable human right, say campaigners, and last week the United Nations General Assembly put its weight behind them, approving a draft resolution calling on member states to make universal access a reality.
Nearly 800 million people around the world are still forced to drink contaminated water and each day hundreds of children die from diarrheal diseases as a result.
The UN says that governments should address this crisis by working towards “the progressive realisation of the human right to safe drinking water and eliminating inequalities in access”.
The achievement of this life-saving objective, however, will likely be undermined by the privatisation of water rights and commoditisation – subjecting the most precious substance on the planet to the vagaries of the market.
At the World Water Forum in the Netherlands in 2000, Nestlé and other corporations with a financial interest in controlling the world’s drinking water succeeded in having access to it officially downgraded from a “right” to a mere “need”.
The Nestlé chairman and former CEO Peter Brabeck-Letmathe said that “access to water should not be a public right”. His company and others have since been taking control of aquifers that local communities rely on for drinking water – and bottling it for a profit.
Campaigners say that one of the worst examples of this can be found in the small Pakistani village of Bhati Dilwan. The group Sum of Us has launched an online petition aimed at stopping Nestlé, a Swiss conglomerate that owns nearly 80 bottled water brands around the world, including Perrier, San Pellegrino and Vittel, from draining the community’s supply and selling it as Pure Life water, which the company bottles at a nearby plant.
Sum of Us said in a statement: “Villagers have watched their water table sink hundreds of feet since Nestlé moved in. Children are getting sick from the foul-smelling sludge they are forced to choke down.
“Nestlé’s aggressive policies are depriving thousands of people around the planet of the basic water they need to survive.
“If we ignore what’s happening [in Bhati Dilwan], Nestlé and other major corporations will suck up more and more of the world’s water – and that’s not good news for anyone.”
Nestlé vehemently denies the group’s allegations, insisting that the operation is carefully monitored and has “no discernible impact on groundwater levels”. It also told The Review that Brabeck-Letmathe’s comment was “taken out of context” and that he unreservedly believes that access to clean water is a basic human right and supports the UN resolution.
The company told The Review: “We are working with public bodies, communities, leading experts and governments to help ensure effective water management and stewardship.”
This is not, however, the first time the company has come under fire over its business practices. The conglomerate is already the target of a boycott coordinated by the International Nestlé Boycott Committee. The body, which has the support of NGOs including Save the Children, World Vision and Oxfam, says the company’s approach to marketing its infant formula in the developing world is aggressive and unethical.
Campaigners say that the use of the powdered breast milk substitute is linked to health problems and increased infant mortality rates, particularly among the poor.
It has also been alleged that the company has purchased cocoa beans from West African plantations that use child slaves.
pmuir@thenational.ae
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The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
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Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
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The bio
Favourite food: Japanese
Favourite car: Lamborghini
Favourite hobby: Football
Favourite quote: If your dreams don’t scare you, they are not big enough
Favourite country: UAE
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Getting there
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Tbilisi from Dh1,025 return including taxes
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
TICKETS
Tickets start at Dh100 for adults, while children can enter free on the opening day. For more information, visit www.mubadalawtc.com.
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)
Power: 141bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh64,500
On sale: Now
What is dialysis?
Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.
It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.
There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.
In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.
In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.
It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.
List of alleged parties
May 12, 2020: PM and his wife Carrie attend 'work meeting' with at least 17 staff
May 20, 2020: They attend 'bring your own booze party'
Nov 27, 2020: PM gives speech at leaving party for his staff
Dec 10, 2020: Staff party held by then-education secretary Gavin Williamson
Dec 13, 2020: PM and his wife throw a party
Dec 14, 2020: London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey holds staff event at Conservative Party headquarters
Dec 15, 2020: PM takes part in a staff quiz
Dec 18, 2020: Downing Street Christmas party
MATCH INFO
Quarter-finals
Saturday (all times UAE)
England v Australia, 11.15am
New Zealand v Ireland, 2.15pm
Sunday
Wales v France, 11.15am
Japan v South Africa, 2.15pm
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
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