Cooperative Communities: The Future of Water Management

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the human right to water. Over the past 50 years, the UN has de ! ned human rights, many of which concern issues of environmental justice. UN General Comment No. 15 served to re ! ne the human right to water, recognizing it as "a public good fundamental for life and health."It is estimated that women spend a combined total of 200 million hours per day collecting water, making them subject to violence on long treks and susceptible to water - borne illness. Other global initiatives have addressed issues of gender equality and equality for minorities. We summarize our suggestions for water managers. Representatives of public trust, water managers ought to represent community values. In doing so, they can serve the tenets of "water democracy."