Articles
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Statement of the Peoples’ Water Forum on the Appointment of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Water
A concerning appointment: Since December 2024, a new mandate has been created. The UN Secretary-General appointed Retno L.P. Marsudi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, as Special Envoy for Water. Months before the appointment, water justice groups were repressed in Indonesia by a pro-government paramilitary group from holding a counter-summit to the 10th World Water…
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Two Senegalese Communities Recognized as Blue Communities in January 2026
Blue Communities Africa recognised and celebrated two new Blue Communities in January 2026: Merina Dakhar and Keur Mor Ndiaye, both located in Senegal. Merina Dakhar is approximately 130 kilometres from Dakar, while Keur Mor Ndiaye is about 15 kilometres from the capital city. The two communities demonstrated strong commitment to the Blue Communities principles, meeting…
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Are We Facing Advocacy Burnout?
As we continue to witness genocide in Palestine, political violence in America, and the increasing appropriation of public wealth by a few – including water privatization efforts around the world, we cannot help but wonder – are we facing advocacy burnout? Burnout is defined as “exhaustion of physical or emotional strength or motivation usually as…
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May Day Reflections
Every day is a workers’ day. Every day is May Day. May first, May Day, is a day commemorating the struggles and gains made by workers and the labour movement. Labour takes many shapes and forms. We commend the ongoing battles for justice, equality, and safe workplaces. Last year, we reflected on the unequal distribution…
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Stop the Faure Water Sell-Off: Cape Town’s Future Shouldn’t Be for Sale
An abridged version of this letter was published by GroundUp, 16 April 2025. A group of water justice researchers warn against the expensive disasters ahead if citizens agree to the City of Cape Town’s proposal to “externalise” the implementation and operation of the Faure New Water Scheme The City of Cape Town (CoCT) wants to outsource…
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The Blue Planet Project’s World Water Day 2025 Reflection
World Water Day 2025 Reflection This year, we at the Blue Planet Project would like to use the World Water Day commemoration to reflect on the centrality of water to life. Last year, we offered a series of critiques of the United Nations (UN) and positioned ourselves outside of UN frameworks, conversations, and agendas; but…
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Kenya’s High Court Ruling on Privatization Act: Lessons for Water Justice and Human Right to Water Advocacy
Kenya’s High Court recently made a landmark ruling that nullified the Privatisation Act 2023, signaling a significant setback for the government’s attempts to privatize state assets and meet conditions set by international lenders like the IMF. The ruling, however, offers key lessons for water justice advocates and African Commonwealth nations that share similar legal frameworks…
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From Silos to A Pan-African Front: The Africa Water Justice Network, Uniting Water Commoning Struggles Against Capital
22 March 2024 Millions on the African continent do not have access to clean drinking water. The current state can be traced back to Africa’s colonial past, when water was claimed and used for colonial economic projects only, with access for social uses restricted based on race and class. This legacy continues today, as water…
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Tapping into scandal: Unravelling the contradictions of water privatisation
Transferring control of water supply services to private hands erodes equitable access to a fundamental human right. WATER, the lifeblood of our planet, is an invaluable resource that has witnessed its fair share of conflicts. At the heart of these conflicts lies the highly charged issue of water privatisation, a policy that has sparked passionate…
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BPP Partner Mathare Social Justice Centre Struggles for Clean Water and Sanitation
Access to affordable and clean water cannot be taken for granted in Nairobi’s neighbourhood of Mathare. Gacheke Gachihi outlines the structural changes needed to guarantee affordable water for all. Since the early 2000s, the struggle to access clean water and sanitation in Mathare has continued to sharpen as the population increases and water demand and…