Why has Brazil rejected a UN water, sanitation inspection?

Published on July 21, 2013 18:11 by Water Network Research, Official research team of The Water Network in Government

Brazil's federal government has rejected a UN attempt to inspect and evaluate the country's basic water and sanitation situation.

The inspection, which was scheduled to start this week, would have involved visiting the cities of Brasília, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and towns in northeastern Ceará state's rural areas.

Brazil has an international obligation to allow UN visits of this sort. As of yet, no concrete reason was given for the rejection and no confirmation has been given yet as to a reschedule date, local newspaper Estadão reported.

The reason for this week's cancelation is unknown, but those organizing the UN mission are speculating that the federal government is concerned that the result of the visit would stir up furthersocial protests, according to a UN official on the rights to water and sanitation, Catarina de Albuquerque.

Despite recent economic growth taking place in the country, it is clear that basic water and sanitation service coverage is lacking. A total of 7.2mn Brazilians still use outhouses, representing 4% of the population. "This is almost the size of Portugal," de Albuquerque was quoted as saying in the report.

Media

Taxonomy

Water Quality Monitoring