The binding international regulation and social tariff as measures for effective access to drinking water

Abstract

The right to drinking water is a human right and making it effective requires states to promote public policies that reconcile the interest in commercial exploitation of this natural resource with this essential human right. If the need for economic development requires charging a fee or a similar instrument to make it possible to collect, treat and distribute drinking water to people, making this access full and universal is vital to preserving this essential human right. This paper seeks to clarify whether binding international regulations for effective access to drinking water are necessary and whether alternatives such as social tariffs are viable and sufficient for effective access for the economically and socially vulnerable when tariffs or similar are charged for supplying water to the population.