The Human Right to Water: Theory, Practice and Prospects (completed)

Edited by Malcolm Langford and Anna Russell

Cambridge University Press, (February 2014).

Background

Human rights are increasingly being promoted as a means of addressing the environmental, social and ideological dimensions of the 'world water crisis'. More specifically, a right to water has been claimed as a legal right and gained increasing prominence in policy and activist discourse. With the UN General Assembly's endorsement of the right in 2010, it is an opportune time to take stock of these developments in theory and practice.

Objectives

The book sets out to (1) critically explore how the human right to water has been justified, recognised and used in law, policy and practice and (2) examine its implications for different disciplines and the broader water sector.

Both of these questions are explored within four broader dynamics of the water sector: the allocation of water resources; the accessibility of water services; urban water reforms and; rural water reforms.