Call for consumer actions on water

Why look at water issues?

Water is the theme for World Consumer Rights Day 2004, held this and every year on 15 March. World Consumer Rights Day 2004 will focus on the issues that concern consumer organisations most - access, ownership, delivery, costs, public policies and the environment.

Consumers International, an international lobby group of consumer organisations, invites its members to start planning ahead for this annual event by joining in the preparation of WCRD materials and activities.

Water is vital for life. All people need clean water and sanitation delivered in a way that is affordable and appropriate to their needs.

At the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg (June 2002), the world's governments made a commitment to halve the proportion of people who lack clean water and proper sanitation by 2015. Lack of political will and economic resources means that progress is slow, aggravated by increasing pressure on diminishing water resources.

But water is an issue even in areas where water supplies are plentiful. Health and standards are universal concerns. Even in areas where access and quality are acceptable, controversies rage over privatisation and public ownership, investment, regulation, maintenance of infrastructure and water conservation, with civil society taking a leading role in the debates.

The complex technical and political issues surrounding water are often seen as the concern of technical experts and government regulators. But the international consumer movement has a long history of successful advocacy on water and other public utility issues at the grassroots, local and national levels. Consumer organisations have acquired a wealth of experience in using the promotion of consumer rights and protection of consumer welfare as tools to mobilise citizens and help create solutions.

The Consumer International site has a useful advocacy kit in different languages, a 20 page PDF containing an overview of key issues and fact sheets on:

• access
• ownership
• pricing and subsidies
• sustainability
• standards
• regulation and conflict resolution
• representation
• consumer advocacy

WCRD editorial coordinator (Lezak Shallat): lshallat@consint.cl