The Human Right to Water Under International Law: A Critical Analysis of General Comment No. 15 And Sustainable Development Goal 6

Access to safe and sufficient water is essential for human survival, public health, and human dignity. Despite its fundamental importance, the right to water was not expressly recognised in the principal international human rights instruments and has largely evolved through treaty interpretation and normative developments. This study examines the recognition of the human right to water under international law, with particular emphasis on the legal significance of General Comment No. 15 of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) and its relationship with Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6). Employing a qualitative doctrinal legal research methodology, the study analyses primary legal sources, including international human rights instruments, United Nations resolutions, and General Comment No. 15, together with relevant academic literature and policy documents. The findings reveal that although the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights 1966, and other major human rights instruments do not expressly recognise a standalone right to water, subsequent interpretations have established water as an indispensable component of the rights to life, health, human dignity, and an adequate standard of living. The study further finds that General Comment No. 15 serves as the principal normative foundation for recognising the human right to water and has significantly influenced international legal discourse and policy development. Furthermore, SDG 6 complements the human rights framework by providing measurable targets for the realisation of universal access to safe and affordable water. Nevertheless, challenges relating to privatisation, environmental degradation, governance deficiencies, and weak enforcement mechanisms continue to impede effective implementation. The study concludes that the human right to water has achieved substantial normative recognition under international law, although questions concerning its legal enforceability remain unresolved.

Human Right to Water; General Comment No. 15; International Law; Sustainable Development Goal 6; Water Governance

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