Press Statement
United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water
and sanitation
Ms. Catarina de Albuquerque
Mission to Tuvalu
Funafuti, Tuvalu
19 July 2012
Introduction
From 17-19 July 2012, I undertook an official visit to Tuvalu at the invitation of the Government. I am honored to be
the first human rights expert invited to this country. The objective of this visit was to examine the situation of the
human rights to water and sanitation in Tuvalu. I wish to firstly thank the Government for the excellent cooperation
exhibited during the preparation, and throughout this mission. I also extend a special thanks to a small but efficient
UN representation, who played a fundamental role in organizing and supporting the mission.
During the mission I had the opportunity to meet with numerous Government departments, including Foreign Affairs, Public
Utilities, Health, Education, Youths and Sports, Natural Resources, Finance and Economic Development, Personnel and
Training, and Communication and Transport. I was also given an opportunity to visit a settlement on the outskirts of
Funafuti and talk to people. In addition, I met with civil society organizations and development partners. I visited a
school and a group of residents in the outskirts of Funafuti with whom I discussed their access to water, sanitation and
hygiene. Before coming to Tuvalu, I also met with representatives of AusAid and New Zealand Aid, as well as with UN
Country Team and SOPAC in Suva. I wish to take this opportunity to thank all those who took their time to meet with me
and help me better understand the situation of access to water and sanitation in Tuvalu. Later this week I will continue
my meetings with other donor agencies in Suva.
The Human Rights to Water and Sanitation
Water and sanitation are human rights. Human rights are for everybody. Every individual - from a child in Funafuti to an
old woman in one of the outer islands – is entitled to access to drinking water and adequate sanitation that is
accessible, available, affordable, acceptable and safe. Water must be safe for human consumption, and sanitation
facilities must safely separate human excreta from human or animal contact. The realization of these rights also
requires ensuring access to adequate and affordable hygiene practices, like hand washing, and menstrual hygiene
management. Effective measures have to be taken in order to avoid infiltration of human and animal waste into the
groundwater, or into other water sources. Furthermore, appropriate mechanisms have to be put in place to deal with
emergencies or natural disasters that might affect these human rights.
The Government of Tuvalu officially supported the UN General Assembly resolution recognizing that access to safe
drinking water and sanitation is a fundamental human right, and I warmly welcome such commitment. The UN Human Rights
Council further affirmed that these rights derive from the right to an adequate standard of living, which is recognized
in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the
Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women – to which Tuvalu is a State Party.
Situation of the Human Rights to Water and Sanitation in Tuvalu
Funafuti, the country’s main island, accommodates half of the country’s population with an extremely high population
density of 1, 610 inhabitants per square kilometer. Population drift to Funafuti from the outer islands has been leading
to overcrowding and increase in squatter settlements on Funafuti. Furthermore, the remoteness of Tuvalu itself and
distances between Funafuti and the country’s outer islands make the management of water and sanitation services a
challenge. One of their precious water sources, fresh water lenses, has been compromised by changes in rainfall, sea
level rise and increased evapotranspiration. Groundwater in general was historically a non-potable secondary water
source where salinity levels were not prohibitive. Its use as a secondary source has been severely compromised by
pollution from inadequate sanitation systems in Funafuti and reportedly further aggravated by saltwater intrusions due
to climate change. Now the population in Funafuti and in the outer islands depends on rainwater for consumption and
other uses. Heavy reliance on rain water makes sustainable and continuous provision of water a further challenge, due to
variations in the rainfall regime.
As of 2010, 98 % of the population had access to improved source of water and 85 % of the population had access to
improved sanitation facilities . However, these figures do not portray an accurate picture of the country’s situation
regarding the enjoyment of these fundamental human rights and mask severe challenges currently faced in the country.
In fact,peoplecannotdrinkdirectlythewatercontainedinthewaterstoragetanksandhavetoboilit. Furthermore, and despite
various efforts to improve the situation (provision of water tanks, improvement of water catchment etc.), I also
observed that people are still suffering from a lack of water in sufficient quantities on a continuous basis, and
adequate sanitation. Several people told me that they have no confidence in the sustainability of the water supply, and
fear the consequences of a future drought. I observed that some gutters and catchment mechanisms are not in place or are
not maintained. In addition, I was told that septic tanks are leaking, animal and human waste contaminates ground water
and a significant amount of the population has no other option but to bathe and defecate in the sea.
I met a woman in the outskirts of Funafuti who had no toilet at home. She explained to me that the only alternative her
family had was to use the sea as a toilet. However, older family members, who are not able to walk easily, have to be
carried to the sea each time they need to urinate or defecate. The same woman uses the sea to bathe, being frequently
harassed by boys in the neighborhood when she is physically exposed. In this woman’s community, most families face
similar challenges.
Legal and Institutional Framework
A first and crucial step that any Government must take in order to ensure the human rights to water and sanitation is to
adopt and implement a national water strategy and plan of action addressing the whole population; the strategy and plan
of action should be devised, and periodically reviewed, on the basis of a participatory and transparent process.
Furthermore, clear responsibilities in the water and sanitation sectors have to be allocated at the national level.
Finally, a clear legal framework needs to be put in place for the sector.
In the case of Tuvalu, a draft Water Act as well as a Sustainable and Integrated Water and Sanitation Policy are being
developed. I welcome these initiatives and encourage the Government to adopt these instruments as soon as possible as a
basis to develop their water and sanitation management structure.
This forthcoming legislative framework will provide an excellent opportunity to establish a clear allocation of
responsibilities and strengthen inter-governmental and inter-sectoral coordination in the water and sanitation sectors.
In this new framework, it goes without saying that necessary budget needs to be allocated for its actual implementation.
For example, while the school curricula includes hygiene education in primary school, I was surprised to observe that a
primary school in Tuvalu was not provided with sufficient soap and toilet paper and teachers often paid for soaps with
their own money, so as to enable pupils to wash their hands namely after toilet use.
The elaboration of all such instruments must ensure an active and meaningful participation of civil society.
Furthermore, I also call on the Government to ensure that greater preeminence is given to water and sanitation in the
forthcoming TKII for the next term.
Practical Implementation of the human rights to water and sanitation
The current lack of a clear legal and institutional framework leads to some challenges in the enjoyment of the human
right to water and sanitation. Taking into account the content of these rights, I would like to draw attention to some
of the problems I observed in Tuvalu and make some recommendations to address them:
1. The Government bears the main responsibility for the realization of the human rights to water and sanitation. The
Government must take concrete and targeted steps within the maximum of available resources including by seeking
international cooperation aid and assistance. In Tuvalu, most of the budget allocated to water, sanitation and hygiene
is donor funded. It is crucial that Tuvalu takes the lead in determining what its priorities for the sector are and
integrating donors’ initiatives into the Government’s activities, in order to ensure greater sustainability of
interventions and impact on the lives of Tuvaluans. Hardware provided by donors has to be accompanied by software
measures, namely information and awareness raising regarding the maintenance of water tanks, pipes and gutters and the
importance of hygiene practices – which have to be ensured even after completion of a given donors’ project.
2. Access to water and sanitation must be affordable to all, even for those who have a lower income. The price paid for
water, sanitation and hygiene must not compromise access to other human rights such as food, housing or education. I
call on the Government to bear this in mind when discussing and adoption new water tariffs or when advancing the use of
composting toilets. Innovative mechanisms, as the creation of a revolving fund, saving financial resources by harvesting
more water from their government buildings, as well as the provision of targeted subsidies could help to support those
families who lack the necessary resources to provide for these solutions.
3. Water and sanitation must be available to all in sufficient quantity. I was informed that it rains enough to
accommodate people’s needs in Tuvalu. What I observed, however, is that the water harvesting system is not utilized to
its maximum potential. Existing buildings could be used to harvest more water for reserve. Legislation should contain
clear standards determining that when new buildings are constructed either by the Government or donors, water harvesting
systems are installed. I welcome initiatives in the country to promote composting toilets, which will not only enable
water savings, but will equally avoid many of the problems caused by inadequate waste water management.
Impacts of Climate Variability and Climate Change on the Rights to Water and Sanitation of Vulnerable Populations
One of this mission’s objectives was to examine the impacts of climate change on the enjoyment of the human rights to
water and sanitation. Many of the above mentioned challenges regarding access to water and sanitation preexisted the
effects of changing climate. However, climate change will exacerbate water scarcity, saltwater intrusions, sea level
rise and frequency of extreme weather events.
Climate change is an everyday reality for people in Tuvalu. And climate change is slowly but steadily impacting their
human rights to water and sanitation. For instance, each 1% increase in temperature is said to lead to increased risk of
water-borne diseases such as severe diarrhea and increases in cholera. Those countries most responsible for the current
climate change crisis should not turn their back to Tuvalu and comply with their legal obligations to prevent or remedy
any human rights violation.
What I felt during my mission is a disconnection between the national level reality and the international level debate
on the adverse impacts of climate change on people in Tuvalu. I saw little evidence that affected populations, including
women and children, are informed of or participating in climate change discussions and policy-making. In my opinion,
this should change.
To conclude, I have the confidence that the Government of Tuvalu and the country’s people have the capacity to face the
many challenges they are and will be facing to make water and sanitation a more tangible reality. Hence I call on all to
fully embrace with determination and perseverance the realization of these fundamental human rights for all in this
complex environment.
Thank you.
ENDS