Water

This chapter considers water as a basic good that satisfies critical basic human needs for drinking, hygiene, and food preparation. It considers the widespread nature of water deprivation and the challenges of addressing this deprivation, including climate change, water shortages, and increased population growth. The chapter examines the subsistence right to water and the role of this right within the United Nations system of human rights. It also examines the relationship of water to food security and the industrial ecology of water. It takes up the issues of nanotechnology and desalination in helping to provide water as well as the critical issue of water storage. It concludes with a consideration of demand-side issues and water provisioning processes.