Climate Libé Tour in Paris: opinion piece by Kevin Goldberg, Director General of Solidarités International: France must act – Access to drinking water is a human right.
For hundreds of thousands of people in France, access to this essential public good is a daily struggle. The celebration of World Water Day on 22 March was a catalyst for many people to speak up for the right to drinking water.
If water is the most vital need after air, it is also a prerequisite for the exercise of all other rights. Drinking, cooking, and washing are all essential for living in dignity, maintaining health, and accessing school and work. But contrary to popular belief, access to water is still not a right for everyone, neither in Europe nor in France.
Since 2010, the UN has considered the right to water and sanitation to be a human right. For its part, France has made tentative progress in this area. Since the 2006 law on water and the aquatic environment, the Environmental Code stipulates that “everyone has the right to access to drinking water”. In 2013, the Brottes law prohibited water cuts throughout the year, even in the event of non-payment. The transposition of the European ‘Drinking Water Directive’ added a new piece to the edifice, defining basic drinking water needs and creating an obligation for local authorities to improve access for all.
But this legal structure remains fragile. To date, the legal provisions are not enforceable against the authorities. Despite several parliamentary initiatives to this effect, France still refuses to clearly enshrine a fundamental right to drinking water and sanitation in its constitution. However, the government has been criticised several times by national courts and the UN for the situation of people living in precarious water conditions and the resulting attacks on their dignity.
The challenge of our century
Territorial inequalities between France and its overseas territories, the stigmatisation of people living in informal or precarious housing… There are many forms of discrimination linked to access to drinking water. The number of people affected in France is now estimated at several hundred thousand. Of the 350,000 homeless people (according to the 30th report on the state of inadequate housing by the Fondation pour le logement des défavorisés, published in February), the authorities count 65,333 living in shanty towns and squats (1). These estimates do not take account of many other situations: people in transit on the Franco-British border, living in dilapidated housing, in reception centres with poor infrastructure, etc. Every day, our teams meet people for whom access to drinking water is a daily struggle. These men, women and children are forced to use public wells, fire hydrants or rivers, sometimes several kilometres away, often on foot.
Sharing water, the common good of humanity, is undoubtedly the issue of our century. Often seen through an environmental prism, access to water for all is also a question of social justice. At a time when climate change is having a significant and rapid impact on the availability of water resources, there is an urgent need to protect and implement the right to water without discrimination. This year marks the fifth anniversary of Solidarités International‘s programmes in France. Since 2020, our NGO has been working tirelessly to demonstrate that guaranteeing the most vulnerable people dignified and safe access to drinking water is not based on technical, financial or legal obstacles, but on political choices. Now, more than ever, it is essential to continue the fight to make this right a reality for all.
(1) Délégation interministérielle à l’hébergement et à l’accès au logement (DIHAL), ‘Résorption bidonvilles’, March 2025.
