Steering for human rights to water

Susan Lea Smith is a water justice activist and an environmental and natural resources law professor at the Willamette University in the United States. She shares her concern over the water crisis and the unjust distribution of water in the world, as well as efforts made to address this issue from a rights based perspective in her country.

Smith was speaking to Fredrick Nzwili at the Global Forum of the Ecumenical Water Network (EWN) of the World Council of Churches (WCC), which took place from 25-27 October in Nairobi, Kenya, with twenty delegates including church officials and experts on water issues from church based groups and international organizations.

Can you briefly outline the work you are doing in the area of water and sanitation in your country or elsewhere?

Our work is primarily water justice advocacy. We try to raise awareness of the global water crisis, the lack of clean water and sanitation around the world, and specific issues like bottled water.

Along with that, we have lobbied for the recognition of an international human right to water. We have lobbied in the United States with respect to that. We