From Pedro Arrojo Agudo, UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Right to Water and Sanitation:
Join us live tomorrow at 9:00! We’ll reflect on my report to the #HRC60: Water and Energy Nexus. We’ll explore how #energy systems affect the #humanrightstowaterandsanitation & how just transitions can uphold these rights while protecting ecosystems.
Join here
In the framework of the 60th Regular Session of the Human Rights Council (HRC60), the Permanent Mission of Spain, the Permanent Mission of Germany, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, and the Geneva Environment Network an convening an event to reflect on the thematic report presented by the Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation entitled Water and Energy Nexus (A/HRC/60/30). This event aims to elevate the conversation around how energy systems directly impact the human right to water.
Why it matters
Water is a fundamental human right. The systems that produce and distribute energy often compromise access to safe drinking water, especially for marginalized communities. From the over-extraction of water for cooling power plants to pollution from fossil fuel operations, energy production can threaten the right to water that international law seeks to protect.
Key Themes of the Special Rapporteur’s report:
1. Energy systems impact on the human right to water: The report underscores how energy-intensive industries can deplete and contaminate water sources, infringing on communities’ rights to safe water and sanitation.
2. Water governance: It calls for a human rights-based approach that ensures participation, transparency, access to information and accountability, prioritizing the human right to water over profit.
3. Just Transitions: A double water and energy transition must be rooted in human rights, prioritizing the human right to water and protecting aquatic ecosystems that are fundamental to the water supply.
4. Emerging Questions: Should access to sustainable energy be considered a human right? And how can energy systems be redesigned to uphold—not undermine—the right to water?
This event will serve as a platform to discuss the intersection of the human right to water and energy systems. It invites member states, right holders and stakeholders to rethink governance models, advocate for transparency, and explore how energy transitions can be leveraged to strengthen the human right to water.
