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The Right of Thirst: Water as a Human Right and as a Commons
Paper ID:
gnest_02551
Paper Status:
Published
Date Paper Submitted:
17/12/2017
Date Paper Accepted:
07/07/2018
Paper online:
26/09/2018
Abstract:
Water is not only a vital natural resource but is also a social symbol that makes it a ‘total social fact’. ‘Hydroschizophrenia’ is a term that characterizes the present condition of the status of water and reflects a disconnection between water and society. Liberal environmentalism considers the environment as an economic good. The privatization of water invokes a wide range of reactions, social movements and protests. The primary concepts that underlie the movement against the privatization are the human right to water and water as a commons. These concepts are traced to the idea of the ancient ‘right of thirst’.
Keywords:
Water, Human right to water, Commons, Total Social Fact, Hydroschizophrenia, Right of Thirst