The United Nation’s Human Rights Day is observed annually on the 10th December.
This year’s theme aims to ‘Recover Better’ with a focus of standing up to human rights in the response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Human rights are intertwined with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Access to human rights is progressed through action on SDGs and the SDGs are themselves driven by advancements on human rights.
Particularly poignant in the eventual recovery from Covid-19 is what is termed the “inequality pandemic”. A more effective recovery includes everyone, leaving no one behind.
Also, is the need for sustainable development. Here in the UK the government has announced its intention for a ‘Green Recovery‘, supporting climate action and the SDGs.
The projects implemented by CO2balance, and partners, provide verified contributions to key SDGs such as SDG5, Gender Equality, and SDG6, Clean Water and Sanitation, among others. You can see more of our projects here.
Access to clean water means that communities are less likely to get sick from waterborne diseases, such as Dysentery. This means less time missed in education, or more time to earn a living.
Also, the burden of collecting unsafe water largely falls on women and children. Access to a safe water source close to home means children have more time to go to school and women can use this time saved for other activities of their choosing. Time is a powerful resource!
While we all look forward to the end of Covid-19, it is important that we take this opportunity to rebuild sustainably and effectively. Projects such as those implemented by CO2balance contribute in providing some of the most vulnerable communities with sustainable access to basic human needs such as safe water.