South Africa has one of
the few constitutions in the world that protects the human right
to water. Yet, in 2003,
Johannesburg Water began installing prepaid water meters in low-income
black areas, such as Phiri and Soweto, to control and limit the
flow of water to each household.
UUSC,
together with program partner the Pastoral
Commission for Peace and Ecology (COPAE), recently
investigated the effects of mining on the Guatemalan
Community of Sipakapa. To read more about this trip,
read an article in Rights Now.
You can also read a blog about the investigation,here.
In May
2005, UUSC took a fact finding trip to Guayaquil, Ecuador to
investigate the 2005 Hepatitis-A poisoning of 158 children
via the water services of InterAgua, a subsidiary of
Bechtel, which claims no responsibility for the outbreak.
The
Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health
held a hearing in May 2007: "Africa's Water Crisis and the
U.S. Response." Rep. Earl Blumenauer gives testimony.
