Reflection On the Human Rights to Water in Cameroon: Lesson from South Africa
Keywords:
Human rights, water, bleak assertion, non-existence, Cameroon, South AfricaAbstract
Access to water is one of the fundamental rights of humans, and this access is a crucial challenge both in terms of quality and quantity in Cameroon. Access to clean water is essential for all, yet in Cameroon, only a small portion of the population can obtain sufficient water to meet their needs, while the majority depend solely on inadequate water sources. The 1996 Preamble of the Constitution of the Republic of Cameroon explicitly upholds the protection of human rights, including guarantees related to economic and social rights. This right to a healthy environment is inextricably linked to the right to water. However, the 1998 Water Code expressly recognizes that the State is responsible for water protection and management but simply facilitates rather than guarantees access to all. While Cameroon's legislative structure includes provisions for the water right, people in the country do not have appropriate access to safe drinking water. Cameroon's legal framework appears weak and ineffective in this perspective, failing to provide and improve access to adequate clean drinking water. Concerned residents have been unable to exercise their right to safe water due to this deficiency. A critical analysis of the legal frameworks in Cameroon as to the nature of the right to a quality water supply is made because Cameroon is a signatory to regional and international instruments governing the human rights to water. It will continue to be a barrier to access to water by the citizens if not quickly and adequately handled. The authors analyzed and contrasted the Cameroonian and South African experiences to take Cameroon's learning points. It is required because South Africa's legal framework is more satisfactory and effective in general and specifically to the extent that South African courts have enforced it than Cameroon's.
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