All living organisms, from cyanobacteria to people, need water to survive. Clean water is essential to human health. Yet in Southeast Asia, many states have severe problems with untreated wastewater, solid waste, pesticides and heavy metals being released into water supplies. Rising populations, urbanisation, rapid industrialisation and climate change all compound the threats to safe water.
This report takes a closer look at the right to safe water in the ASEAN region, and sets out conclusions and recommendations for policymakers, civil society, business and others. It begins by tracing the emergence of the right to water at the global level. Then it examines what safe water means under international human rights standards, and the implications for states and businesses
regarding water quality. The report then turns to the situation in ASEAN member states, focusing on the extent to which there is national recognition of the right to water and what challenges it faces in implementation.
It finds that several states in ASEAN are lagging behind on the realisation of the right to safe water, and identifies problems, such as poorly managed water privatisation, under-financed sanitation, inadequate wastewater treatment and failures in law enforcement. It concludes with selected recommendations for ASEAN countries, including constitutional and legislative recognition of the right to water, stronger health protection standards in law for water quality, better support for sanitation and best practices in climate adaptation.