LEO HELLER

«The Blue Community Initiative shares principles of challenging unjust processes of commodification and privatization of water, promoting the human rights to water, and sanitation and strengthening public services. I have advocated for these principles for decades, in my academic career, in my international mandates, and my political activism. For this reason, I support this important initiative.»

Léo Heller is the former UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights to Drinking Water and Sanitation. He is currently Leading Researcher at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation and previously was Professor at the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil. He has extensive experience in teaching and researching in the field of water and sanitation and a consolidated experience supervising more than 70 MSc and PhD candidates and in coordinating large interdisciplinary research groups. He is author of 250 books, book chapters and journal articles, including the book “The Human Rights to Water and Sanitation”, published by Cambridge University Press.

 

Recent publications:

  • MOREIRA, F.D; HELLER, L.; REZENDE, S. Street vendors and the human rights to water and sanitation: a scoping review. LOCAL ENVIRONMENT, v. 1, p. 1-17, 2024.

  • MOREIRA, A.M.F.; SILVA, P.N.; Heller, L. Confluências quilombolas: o caso da comunidade de Croatá, MG. ARGUMENTUM, v. 16, p. 100-114, 2024.

  • SILVA, P.L.; GOMES, M.C.A.; HELLER, L. Talks about privatization of water and sanitation: A critical discourse analysis of contributions to a UN report. Water Security, v. 23, p. 100179, 2024.

  • ONUZIK, N. C.; MIKAEL-SILVA, T.; MODENA, C.M.; Heller, L. ‘Fora Saneouro, a água é do povo’: social representations of residents of Ouro Preto, Brazil, on the privatization of water and sanitation services. OBSERVATORIO DE LA ECONOMÍA LATINOAMERICANA, v. 22, p. e6279, 2024.

  • SILVA, P.N.; SCHALL, B.; GONCALVEZ, F.R.; ALVES, E.M.; SANTOS, S.R.; VALENTE, P.A.; PIMENTA, D.N.; HELLER, L. Quilombola women from Jequitinhonha (Minas Gerais, Brazil) and access to water and sanitation in the context of COVID-19: a matter of human rights. Frontiers In Water, v. 6, p. 1-10, 2024.

  • POAGUE, K.I.H.M.; MINGOTI, S.A.; Heller, L. Water, sanitation and schistosomiasis mansoni: a study based on the Brazilian National Prevalence Survey (2011-2015). Ciência & Saúde Coletiva, v. 28, p. 363-372, 2023.

  • LOPES, R.H.; SILVA, C.R.D.V.; SILVA, I.S.; SALVADOR, P.T.C.O.; Heller, L.; UCHÔA, S.A.C. Worldwide Surveillance Actions and Initiatives of Drinking Water Quality: A Scoping Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, v. 20, p. 559, 2023.

  • TROVÃO, N.; NEVES-SILVA, P.; PINHEIRO, L.C.; PEIXOTO, S.V.; HELLER, L Alterações no acesso à água e na incidência de doenças de veiculação hídrica após o rompimento da barragem da Vale em Brumadinho (MG). REVISTA BRASILEIRA DE EPIDEMIOLOGIA, v. 26, p. 1-8, 2023.

  • Heller, L. The human rights to water and sanitation, gender equality, and the State. LANCET, v. 401, p. 728-728, 2023.

  • VICTRAL, D.M.; Heller, L. Responsiveness of water-sector regulation in Brazil to the Covid-19 pandemic: A view through the human rights lens. Utilities Policy, v. 82, p. 101548, 2023.

  • NEVES-SILVA, P.; BRAGA, J.G.; Heller, L. Different positions in society, differing views of the world: the privatization of water and sanitation services in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Frontiers In Sustainable Cities, v. 5, p. 1-11, 2023.

  • NAHAS, M.I.; CARVALHO, R.C.; HELLER, L. A Framework to Assess and Monitor Human Rights to Water and Sanitation at the Municipal Scale: A Study case in the Belo Horizonte Metropolitan Region. SOCIAL INDICATORS RESEARCH, v. 2023, p. 1-21, 2023.

  • SANTOS, M.; HELLER, L. Esquistossomose, geo-helmintíases e condições sanitárias na América Latina e Caribe: uma revisão sistemática. REVISTA PANAMERICANA DE SALUD PUBLICA-PAN AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, v. 47, p. 1, 2023.

  • SANTOS, M.; OLIVEIRA, G.L.; MINGOTI, S.A.; HELLER, L. Sewerage as a protective factor for prevalence of hookworm infection in schoolchildren in Brazil: A multilevel ecological analysis of national prevalence surveys (1950-2018). SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT, v. 2023, p. 164621, 2023.

  • SANTOS, M.; OLIVEIRA, G.L.; MINGOTI, S.; HELLER, L. Effect of environmental factors in reducing the prevalence of schistosomiasis in schoolchildren: An analysis of three extensive national prevalence surveys in Brazil (1950-2018). PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, v. 17, p. e0010804, 2023.

  • Heller, L.; CARNEIRO, M. WASH and health: from global estimates to whys and hows. LANCET, v. 2023, p. 1-2, 2023.

  • Heller, L.; KARUNANANTHAN, M.; ZWARTEVEEN, M.; HALL, D.; MANAHAN, M.A.; DIOUF, F. What water will the UN Conference carry forward: a fundamental human right or a commodity? LANCET, p. 1, 2023.

  • MOREIRA, F.D.; FONSECA, P.R.S.; Heller, L.; REZENDE, S. O espaço público e o público que o frequenta: dilemas dos direitos humanos à água e ao saneamento. REVISTA BRASILEIRA DE ESTUDOS URBANOS E REGIONAIS, v. 25, p. 1-25, 2023.