According to the U.S. Agency for International Development, 4.2 billion people face situations of that which they lack adequate sanitation and 45% of our population access to water. This lack could lead to many deaths from preventable diseases on a regular basis, especially in more poor, underdeveloped countries. The acknowledgment of this human right has been seen in the past as this matter had been addressed by the United Nations General Assembly in 2010, as well as in 2015 by the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, creating 17 Sustainable Development Goals, supporting the need for such action to support the growth of those that have access to water and sanitation.
Peru has made many efforts to see the movement of common access to clean water and sanitation facilities through policies set by the Ministry of Housing, Construction, and Sanitation, and increasing urban and rural providers, showing the commitment to this natural human right. Access to safe water and sanitation has improved in recent years, yet there remains a large portion of the population (3 million out of 32 million) without access to safe water and 8 million without improved sanitation due to deficient sustainability and insufficient coverage. Although many Peruvians still live below the national poverty line and efforts to expand access have not been as successful as wanted, Peru continues to strive for solutions to this issue and supports those that may increase access to water and sanitation.
The delegation of Peru aims to establish a solution of placing more emphasis on the sustainability of the execution of providing more access to water and sanitation. Peru believes certain solutions that could contribute to this could be the establishment of water “points” and sanitation/hygiene facilities. Funding could be possible through co-financing by increased community participation as well as enhanced international cooperation. More emphasis could be placed on specializing sustainability systems for each unique needs of the area.
- Christine Huynh
