Water
Event ... World Water Week launches in Stockholm

September 2013 ... Access to water is “one of the most fundamental human rights,” says Nestle’s Chairman Peter Brabeck-Letmathe

Burgess COMMENTARY

Peter Burgess

Access to water is “one of the most fundamental human rights,” says Nestle’s Chairman Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, as World Water Week kicks off in Stockholm.

In a video interview, recorded exclusively for 2degrees at Nestle’s HQ in Switzerland, Brabeck-Letmathe explains that the only way to meet the commitment to the human right to water is if business and industrial users of the resource manage their consumption more efficiently and effectively. To do that, he says, they need to recognise the economic value of water and the value of investing in its infrastructure.

His main premise is that the amount of water required for basic human needs - such as washing, cooking and hydration - only accounts for around 2% of all freshwater. Without careful stewardship of the other 98% - used in farming and industry, but also for watering golf courses - human rights are at risk.

So, what should be done? As Brabeck-Letmathe continues, traditional approaches to multi-stakeholder problems have their limitations. “It’s not as easy as it looks at the beginning,” he says.

Government involvement is crucial, he says, as is input from NGOs. But short-term campaigns and initiatives, while they “might make you feel good”, often do not achieve much if they fizzle out after a few months. “You have to engage on a long-term journey of five to ten years,” he says.

Check out the video (it’s only five minutes long) and tell us what you think.

Should private companies start thinking about water as having an economic value to improve their water usage?

Are traditional engagement approaches to multi-stakeholder problems failing? Is it time for new ideas?

Are short-term initiatives no longer valid? Is it all about the long-term?