WHY WATER AND SANITATION IS FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHT?

Abstract

For the past decade, from the Millennium goals, until SDGs international organizations, the UN
and other entities acknowledge the importance of water and sanitation for exercising fundamental
human rights. Covid-19 questioned all these efforts and makes us started thinking that water and
sanitation need adequate protection, both legal and institutional. In this paper, it will be discussed
the connection between the right to water and sanitation with the other fundamental rights, and
why this right should be treated as a separate right. How water should be treated in the legislation
of N.Macedonia? It’s a thick line between treating water as a public or private good, and that
directly affects the human right to water and sanitation. Also, a necessity for implementing water
and sanitation as a fundamental human right in the Constitutions of the countries will be
mentioned. Analysis of the right to adequate living standards and a healthy environment will be
made, as a direct connection to the human response to climate change and saving the environment
and water protection.