Water is a HUMAN RIGHT

Let me introduce THE UN-NGO, UNANIMA INTERNATIONAL, of which I am a member, and our efforts regarding water issues.

UNANIMA International collaborated with Food and Water Watch in mid September  to present a joint letter to bring fracking to the attention of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. This effort is focused on informing the work of Caterina De Albuquerque, the UN special rapporteur on human right to water and sanitation.

Now that the human right to water has been officially recognized by the UN General Assembly, and De Albuquerque has determined that fracking could further imperil the human right to water in the U.S., UNANIMA believes that all states should stand behind a commitment to safeguard this right to our precious water and ban fracking.  In an assessment of the situation in the U.S., De Albuquerque reported on water contamination found there from fracking and recommended “a holistic consideration of the right to water by factoring it into policies having an impact on water quality, ranging from agriculture to chemical use in products to energy production activities.”

The joint letter pointed out to the UN Human Rights Commission that fracking isn’t only a problem in the U.S. The oil and gas industry has its sights set on fracking in Europe, with the U.S. energy information administration forecasting 187 trillion cubic feet of gas resources available in Poland, followed closely by France at 180 trillion cubic feet. France, however, following strong civil society protests, currently has a moratorium against fracking.

Join UNANIMA International, Food and Water Watch and many other organizations to follow France’s example and stop Fracking.