New Approaches to Monitor Inequalities in Access to Water and Sanitation: The SDGs in Latin America and the Caribbean

Abstract

In the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Targets 6.1 and 6.2 show, in their formulation, some alignment with the normative content of the human rights to water and sanitation (HRWS). However, the principle of equality and non-discrimination, which applies to all human rights, was not clearly incorporated into the indicators adopted to assess and monitor these targets. This paper contributes to bridging this gap by proposing two methodological strategies to address inequalities in analyses of access to water and sanitation services. The first consists in adjusting the indicators of access to these services according to inequality. The second proposes an assessment of intersecting forms of inequality. An application of these methods in Latin America and the Caribbean highlights significant regional heterogeneity and elevated inequality in access to services in the countries of this region. The methods demonstrate their potential in contributing to assessment and monitoring of the SDGs, but outdated or lacking data are obstacles to more in-depth analyses.

Access to Water and Sanitation Services in Brazilian Vulnerable Areas: The Role of Regulation and Recent Institutional Reform

“…water, but it does not promote a public policy of universalization, and it even less promotes the provision of a sustainable service, implying unplanned costs, dispersed investments and the precariousness of the service [26]. Furthermore, it perpetuates inequality as only those who have the means or the tenacity to navigate the judicial system can go down this path.…”

“…In this way, the judiciary exempts the formal WSS provider from the responsibility of infringing upon the regulations overlapping the right to property through the principle of the human right to water while the issue of land tenure is being discussed. This model in many cases guarantees the right to water, but it does not promote a public policy of universalization, and it even less promotes the provision of a sustainable service, implying unplanned costs, dispersed investments and the precariousness of the service [26]. Furthermore, it perpetuates inequality as only those who have the means or the tenacity to navigate the judicial system can go down this path.…”

Models of Subsidies for Water and Sanitation Services for Vulnerable People in South American Countries: Lessons for Brazil

“…Hence, high investments are needed to reach universal WSS in these areas of social vulnerability [54]. In addition, projects in vulnerable areas are very complex and require different individual solutions for each situation [55,56]. Better governance and innovative contracting models for WSS are needed for areas of social vulnerability involving the various actors, including the private sector through public-private partnerships (PPPs) or other public partners or the community directly or through public-public partnerships (PUPs).…”

Biorecovery of wastewater with microorganisms

“…En este año se definieron los Objetivos de Desarrollo del Milenio (ODM) con los derechos normativos para el acceso de agua potable y saneamiento establecidos en el artículo N º6 (Bartram et al, 2014;Giné et al, 2017;Who/Unicef, 2015). En base a estos objetivos se provee un sistema de mejora de calidad de vida y desarrollo sostenible para la Agenda 2030 (Jasim, 2020;Queiroz et al, 2020). El crecimiento rápido de la población genera una mayor demanda y a la vez la necesidad de emplear métodos sostenibles que impulsen nuevas tecnologías para el tratamiento de aguas residuales es así como uno de los sistemas de innovación en la actualidad es la Biorremediación; permite la aplicación de agentes microbianos capaces de degradar de manera eficaz nutrientes presentes en las aguas residuales que permitan la conservación y recuperación del recurso agua.…”