On 28 July 2010, the UN General Assembly declared safe access to safe drinking water and sanitation as a human right. But already in 1993, it established March 22 as the World Water Day, consecrating this day to the celebration of concrete activities that raise awareness about the conservation and development of water resources.
Lack of access to water, as a human right, harms populations in poverty, and penalizes them hard on their nutrition, health and management of their time.
FPSC dedicates more than 14% of its resources to guarantee this right through the development of cooperation projects for development that promote the increase and quality of water through measures such as the conditioning of springs, the implementation of new irrigation systems to boost the increase of agricultural production, and in general, through a model of sustainable rural development and respect for the environment.
In these projects that the FPSC develops in this field, education and training in good practices and water management are given to farmers and awareness campaigns directed at the local community to raise public awareness.
The projects that the FPSC develops in matters of water are:
Sustainable and Equitable Rural Development Agreement in the West Bank, funded by AECID. This agreement, which promotes the responsible management of lands and water resources by small and medium-sized farmers in the governorates of Qalqilya and Tulkarem, includes, among other activities, the construction of roads to provide farmers with access to crops, planting of 10,000 seedlings of olives, guavas and zaatar, installation of irrigation systems, implementation of home gardens to contribute to the social and economic empowerment of women and their productive role and promotion of cooperatives.
Project “Increased agricultural productivity with environmental and gender focus in East Wellega (Oromiya), Ethiopia”. The project develops training actions in efficient agricultural and fertilization techniques for crop diversification, nutrition training, access to water necessary to be able to grow outside the rainy season through small-scale irrigation systems and support to the creation of farmers’ cooperatives to boost agricultural marketing.
Project to improve the living conditions of small farmers in Salfit, Palestine, through the right of access to water and through the rehabilitation of three springs and the flow of Al Matwi, for domestic and agricultural purposes in home gardens. It aims to ensure the right of access to water and its purification in a sustainable sociological, economic, and environmental way, with a balanced gender approach. The project is funded by the Madrid City Council.
Improvement of the sanitary conditions and water access for the poorest population of the rural districts in the South of Sofala province (Mozambique). The project develops among other actions the improvement of water supply in schools, health centres and villages, cleaning up of sanitation facilities, improvement of health indicators, reducing mortality due to water-related diseases and lack of hygiene. The project is financed by Canal Voluntarios (Canal de Isabel II Getión).