Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) calls on the Georgian government and local governments to pay special attention to the protection of water rights in rural areas, which is critical to the prevention of COVID-19 virus.

EMC systematically studies the needs of ethnic minority villages in Kvemo Kartli region and Akhmeta municipality. In most villages, access to clean and drinking water remains as the major challenge. For example, in the following villages of Marneuli Municipality: Khutor-Lezhbadin, Tazakendi, the village of Kirikhlo, Kvemo Saral, Ulashlo water is not provided at all; water problems are also prevelent in Tsurtavi, Talaveri, Dabazi, Mamkhuti and Savaneti villages located in Bolnisi Municipality. Access to clean and sufficient drinking water is a particular problem in the villages of the Pankisi Gorge.

The above mentioned locations are just a small list of villages where EMC team conducted a needs survey and where the problem of drinking water showed to be an urgent matters. Of course, other villages of many other Georgian regions might also have similar problems, however, based on our observation, regions densely populated with ethnic minorities have weaker infrastructure, which stems from weak democratic and participatory practices, negligance of the local language in administrative procedures,, low-trust of state institutions and unfair distribution of resources.

Most of the villages are not connected to the state / district water system and in many cases locals supply the required water rations from artesian wells, which are often polluted. The state does not check the suitability of these waters for drinking purposes. The lack of water resources directly affects the health and well-being of poor, socially vulnerable and large families; the issue of water resources and, consequently, hygiene is also particularly problematic in public schools and kindergartens in Kvemo Kartli, Kakheti region and Pankisi Gorge, this information is annually reported by the Public Defender, as well as the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

While the world and Georgia is facing a new pandemic, Covid-19, it is important that the state and local municipalities provide each village with the required amount of clean drinking and consumable water supplies. In its recommendations, the World Health Organization speaks of the need for clean drinking and consumable water so that people can maintain proper hygiene and protect themselves from the spread of the virus. The right to unlimited access to safe drinking water is directly linked to human health and well-being. Negligence of human rights to water, sanitation and hygiene violates the fundamental rights of every human being, such as the right to life, health, education, dignity, social and economic rights.

International human rights law obliges states to ensure the recognition, protection and enforcement of human rights to water, sanitation and hygiene. In 1996, the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights adopted its general comment No. 15 on the right to water stating that: “The human right to water entitles everyone to sufficient, safe, acceptable, physically accessible and affordable water for personal and domestic uses”.

An important issue of Georgia's Association Agreement (AA) with the European Union is the protection of the environment and the provision of adequate conditions for the protection of vital human rights. Based on the objectives of the AA, Georgia also undertakes the commitment to ensure sustainable management of water resources and universal provision of sanitary norms.

According to the national program of the Government of Georgia for 2018-2020 - "Freedom, Rapid Development, Prosperity" - the state undertakes the commitment to make every effort to each person, as people and their health is the primary value for the country. Accordingly, the state must take care of the protection of human health, freedom and dignity, and the provision of opportunities for prosperity and self-realization in its own country. "Provision of quality drinking water to the population, 24 hours a day" is also one of the priorities of the Georgian government.

Bearing in mind the mentioned, EMC calls on the Government of Georgia to:

• Insure mobilization of state institutions, local municipalities, so that they can immediately coordinate their efforts, to provide the supply of drinking and consumable water daily, to the villages where this resource do not exist;
• Municipalities to create, manage and constantly renew water reserves for all villages.
• Oblige local municipalities to proactively provide rural residents, especially the ones densely populated with ethnic minorities, with information on recommendations issued by the World Health Organization; in the absence of internetization in the villages, it is important that this information be disseminated in the languages comprehendible by minorities, through central/regional broadcasting channels and through other direct forms.

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