Sanitation in Mexico: An Overview of Its Realization as a Human Right

Abstract

Adequate sanitation is essential for health, human well-being, the preservation of water resources, biodiversity, and the full enjoyment of human rights. Sanitation is a human right, and although it is linked to the human right to water (HRW), it has specific characteristics that deserve particular attention. These components are (1) availability; (2) quality; (3) physical accessibility; (4) affordability; (5) acceptability; (6) equality and non-discrimination; (7) government management and inter-institutional coordination; (8) access to information and participation; and (9) environmental protection. These components enable the analysis of other aspects that may not be fully considered from the traditional sanitation approach. This research aims to analyze the context of the realization of the human right to sanitation (HRS) in Mexico, for a future comprehensive assessment. The study was conducted through documentary and national news coverage research. It concluded that there are still significant challenges to realizing this human right in Mexico. Findings suggest that besides the infrastructure and pollution difficulties, there are other problems like physical and economic access to sanitation for the vulnerable population, inequality between urban and rural areas, the lack of maintenance work of sanitation infrastructure, and the lack of effective coordination between the authorities responsible for sanitation.