Rethinking the concept of the human right to water

This paper analyzes the current status of the human right to water and suggests that the scope of the human right to water under the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. General Comment No. 15 on Right to Water (.General Comment No. 15.), should be reassessed and extended to strengthen this right and ensure its full and effective realization, especially in water-scarce countries. Section A presents a brief summary of the current status of the human right to water. Section B provides a detailed review of access to water for productive use in South Africa and Uzbekistan and points out a need to extend the scope of this right to meet basic livelihood needs, based on water-dependent activities. Section C offers some suggestions on integrating ecosystems water needs in the scope of the human right to water. Finally, conclusions are provided in Section D.