Dangers of water grab lead discourse at Ecumenical Water Network workshop

As part of activities for the 2024 Africa Week of Action Against Water Privatisation, the Ecumenical Water Network Africa (EWNA), has renewed its call for what it termed ‘water justice,’ demanding for fair and equitable distribution of water resources and prioritising public welfare over private profits in African societies.

This year’s annual Week of Action Against Water Privatisation holds between October 21 to 26 and coincides with the World Bank’s Annual General Meeting kicks against declining living standards in the face of governments’ seeming willingness to prioritise the interests of corporations and politically connected individuals over the needs of their citizens.

The call for water justice was made by the Coordinator of the EWNA, Reverend Kolade Fadahunsi, who highlighted the growing demand across Africa for equitable access to water, free from the constraints of privatisation and profit-driven policies

Earlier at a workshop organized by Nigeria Country Workshop on the Principles of Blue Community organised by the Africa  Water Justice Network and EWNA, the need for collaborative efforts to address the challenges of access to water was the core of discussions at

Reverend Fadahunsi had stated at the workshop that the purpose was to educate communities and groups on the Blue Communities’ initiative and identify those that can be recruited to protect the human right to water while Programme Executive/Coordinator, Ecumenical Water Network (EWN), Dinesh Suna, said that the EWN, based in Geneva, is an initiative of the World Council of Churches and comprises churches and church-related organisations that promote the preservation, responsible management and equitable distribution of water for all, based on the understanding that water is a gift from God, a common good and a fundamental human right.

Suna explained that, on October 25, 2016, the WCC became a Blue Community at a public event in Geneva and has since then been working with cities and villages, universities and schools, companies and NGO, faith-based organisations and trade unions that promote the human right to water and sanitation and to oppose privatization and commodification of water and its services.

The Blue Community was initiated by the Council of Canadians, a Canadian social and environmental justice organisation, and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) in 2009 to help activists and decision-makers at the local level to stop the privatisation of municipal water services and promote the human right to water.

Speaking on “Water Sustainability, Preservation and Protection”, Executive Director of Renevlyn Development Initiative (RDI), Philip Jakpor, said that the causes of water shortage include Geographic location, Climate change, Pollution, Unjust laws and policies that open the door for water grab and Lack of education/awareness on use of water.

READ ALSO: Olubadan installs Olagunju as Mogaji of Opere Compound