Groundbreaking local water law in Honduras
The right to water is more important than economic gain. Last year, this has been defined by law in two municipalities in Honduras. Our partner organization ARCA worked long and hard to make this happen, but eventually succeeded. The ‘right to water’… what exactly does it entail in practice? Why is it so important, and why is this relatively small success still a true milestone? Sanderijn van Beek of Both ENDS was involved in this story.
Water is a human right
“Since 2010, all UN member states acknowledge ‘the right to water’ as a basic human right”, says Sanderijn. “This means that every person in the world has the right to clean and safe water. But it doesn’t end there. Governments should incorporate this right in their local and national legislation and policies, so that people can truly claim it. In 2013, Honduras incorporated the right to water in their national constitution, but its enforcement is still lagging behind.”
Illegal licenses
Since the coup of 2009 there have been increasingly heavy conflicts over the distribution of water. On a large scale, the national government has been giving – often illegal – licenses to powerful businesses for mining, tourist activities or the construction of large -scale dams. Such activities put an enormous strain on rivers; water has become less and less available, and it is also being severely polluted. This is very damaging to the inhabitants of the area – especially fishermen and farmers – who depend on the river for their livelihoods.
People’s representatives for water
“Just like several other Central-American countries, Honduras has so-called water committees, which are water boards with representatives from the community. It’s a unique system, because it enables local residents to become involved and influence decisions regarding water management. Unfortunately, under the current regime in Honduras, the committees have increasingly less say in the matter. That is why ARCA, our partner organisation in Central-America, since last year has been helping water committees to advocate for water policies which also take into account the needs of local communities. ARCA has trained the participating committees to design strategic plans to influence policy. To achieve this, a decent problem analysis had to be made, as well as a clear understanding of the current legislation, and which stakeholders are involved.”
Practical plans
An association of water committees has brought this strategic plan into practice in the region Atlántida. There, the water supply – and with it, the livelihoods of around 40.000 people - is being threatened by hydroelectric power stations and heavily polluting mining. Based on already existing land and water legislation, the association has come up with its own proposals for better governance and usage of land and water. For example, use of water by people is to be prioritized over commercial use, mining-free zones should be implemented, and so-called ‘micro-basin areas’ should be registered as protected areas.
Success
The water committees presented their plans to local authorities and representatives of the Ministry of Environment, and also organised roundtable talks with authorities and communities. After several months of negotiations, two municipalities (El Porvenir and San Francisco) accepted the plan last year. Local legislation now says that water for human consumption should have priority over others, and that micro-stream areas in the region are to be protected. And in the municipality of La Masica, mine-free zones have been set up to prevent the river from being polluted and degraded.
Milestone
Local communities can now use the local law to truly enforce their right to water, which has been acknowledged by the national government. Yet, the question of whether this law will be truly lived up to in practice, remains. While the national government must respect local regulation, this is not always the case: corruption and pressure from large companies are the order of the day in Honduras. Sanderijn: “But perhaps that is the largest milestone indeed: the fact that these water committees, with help from ARCA – and despite corruption and intimidation – have achieved this result!”
Both ENDS has been working with ARCA for years on so-called ‘participatory water governance’ in which all stakeholders can influence the decision-making process for water policy. This project, too, we have supported in terms of finances and content, by actively thinking about how ARCA can achieve the best result.
What does Both ENDS do on participatory water management?
photo: Kristin Klein op Flickr
Read more about this subject
-
Instalink / 3 november 2024
-
News / 1 november 2024
Both ENDS at COP29: advocating for gender just climate finance
On November 11th, the 29th UN Climate Conference will start in Baku, Azerbaijan. Just like previous years, Both ENDS will be there to advocate for local access to climate finance, and to support our partner organisations in their advocacy work. How do we do that, and what are our hopes (and worries) about this 29th edition of the UNFCCC COP? We asked Marius Troost, who will be joining COP29 together with Daan Robben.
-
Instalink / 31 oktober 2024
-
Publication / 29 oktober 2024
-
Instalink / 29 oktober 2024
-
Instalink / 24 oktober 2024
-
Publication / 21 oktober 2024
-
News / 21 oktober 2024
Disappointment over failure to submit National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan
We are deeply disappointed and frustrated that the Dutch government has not submitted its National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) for the CBD COP16 in Cali. This disregard for international agreements undermines the concerted global effort to address the urgent biodiversity crisis.
-
Instalink / 18 oktober 2024
-
Instalink / 18 oktober 2024
-
Instalink / 17 oktober 2024
-
Instalink / 10 oktober 2024
-
News / 3 oktober 2024
CVM trial of Vale Executives over Brumadinho Dam Collapse brings new momentum
Fabio Schvartsman and Gerd Peter Poppinga attended a Securities and Exchange Commission (CVM) trial session, last Tuesday, October 1st. Poppinga was convicted by one of the CMV directors, but the second CMV director requested more time to review the case files, postponing the judgment by 60 days. Victims’ families and supporters will have to keep waiting for justice regarding one of Brazil’s worst human and environmental disasters.
-
Instalink / 3 oktober 2024
-
Blog / 30 september 2024
Of EACOP and tales of a defender in development
The Joke Waller-Hunter (JWH) Initiative creates opportunities for young people in the environmental sector in developing countries to unfold their full potential. By providing small grants to individuals to expand their knowledge, experience and training, the Initiative aims to strengthen environmental Civil Society Organisations capacity and efficiency. Grantee Brighton Aryampa wrote a column for Monitor about his journey to becoming a Human Rights Defender, and his work battling the EACOP.
-
Publication / 24 september 2024
-
News / 24 september 2024
Massive Wildfires Ravage South America
“The fires have reached proportions we have never experienced before.”
Large swathes of South America are currently draped in smoke. From Buenos Aires, to São Paulo to Asunción people struggle to breathe due to unprecedented fires raging on the continent, fuelled by extreme drought, the expansion of the agriculture frontier and rising temperatures linked to climate change.
-
Blog / 29 augustus 2024
Local action for resilient wetlands and riparian lands of the Athi river basin in Kenya
and Kyra Pohlan
Communities throughout the Athi river basin rely on healthy and resilient semi-aquatic ecosystems, such as riparian and wetland areas, for their well-being and livelihoods. These habitats have become ever more important for local communities in adapting to the effects of climate change, in particular the more frequent and more extreme periods of drought and flooding. By conserving and re-establishing riparian lands and wetlands, groups from the Athi River Community Network do not only protect their immediate environment but also contribute to the well-being of downstream areas.
-
News / 16 augustus 2024
Statement on the denial of legal protection by the Philippines Court of Appeals towards environmental defenders Jonila Castro and Jhed Tamano
Both ENDS expresses its profound concern over the recent decision by the Philippines Court of Appeals to deny legal protection to Jonila Castro and Jhed Tamano against unlawful harassment and reprisals from state forces. Castro and Jhed are two young environmental human rights defenders who were violently abducted by Filipino armed forces in September 2023, for almost 17 days, in a case that made international headlines. The two women had been working as community organizers in Northern Manila Bay, where large-scale land reclamation's have wreaked havoc on communities and ecosystems.
-
Letter / 22 juli 2024
Joint Call to Action: International Civil Society Demands Justice for Berta Cáceres' Murder Victims in Honduras
This is a joint call to action by international civil society organizations to call upon the Honduran authorities to ensure there is justice for the victims of the murder on Berta Caceres. Eight years and four months have passed since the crime against Berta and the Honduran justice system has not confirmed the sentences of those convicted and has not prosecuted the intellectual authors. We are extremely concerned that independent administration of justice and international agreements on human rights are not being upheld.