Ethical Issues in Access to Water: Is Water a Human Right - Assignment Example

Ethical Issues in Access to Water: Is Water a Human Right? Executive summary Businesses have been undertaking various environmental protection programs through corporate social responsibilities as a way of giving back to their consumers. Nevertheless, problem of water shortage in the world is still rampant and needs high level of attention from all stakeholders. As a result, our aim is to agitate for inclusion of water as one of the universal basic needs and convince businesses to take this initiative as their first priority while selecting the appropriate social corporate responsibility initiative. Human survival is wholly dependent on water availability therefore, neglecting water as a human right is neglecting human existence. The major importance of this paper is to discuss various theories that are concerned with emphasizing need for individuals, governments and even international bodies to recognize the need to put up regulation on water use in order to secure human beings from becoming extinct. Some of the ethical theories include theory of utilitarianism, rights ethical theory, deontology theory and virtue ethical theory. The paper also discusses of importance of environmental protection and values that human beings have put on it in comparison with other interests. Introduction Globally water use has become a contentious issue as the governments; community, businesses and even non-governmental organization misuse this precious commodity. Despite the commodity being scarce, there is no established body that is mandated with protecting water resources. The world has in the recent past experienced high rate of deforestation an aspect that has reduced the numbers of catchment areas. Water scarcity has been in an increase as the rate of global warming has increased leading to increased levels of desertification. The most affected countries are the developing countries as they lack mechanisms to harvest and utilize the little available water (Valasquez, 2000). Effort to reduce global warming has been futile as developed countries fail to sign important protocols that would see countries participate in ensuring that harmful gas emission in the atmosphere is reduced tremendously. An example of failed convention is Kyoto convection where china, United States and other developed countries refused to sign the protocol leading to failure of the attempt to reduce gas emission. A human right can be easily defined as inevitable fundamental right which every person is entitled to by a virtue of being a human being. For a human being to survive, he/she must take water. This indicates that water is a precious commodity and is a human right that every human being is entitled to for survival (Shaw, 2010). Literature review Corporate social responsibility Having transacted business in many years, we have opted to come up with this report as we are determined to see that water levels have improved and every person has access to water. Currently business operations have been able to diversify in different parts of the world. Water scarcity being one of the major issues that is affecting the society, business should concentrate on provision of this basic right through undertaking various processes that aim in improving water access (Ferrel, 2012). One of the methods that a business can use to increase water quantities and qualities in the world is through sensitizing the society to plant trees. This move will help in increasing the forest cover an aspect that would increase water availability in the globe. Business is therefore, ethically obligated to ensure that some part of the profit is directed to improving the living status of the surrounding society. If every business undertakes this as their moral obligation, this would transform the world completely thereby enabling every person to get access to water (Alzola, 2008, 274). Initially, moral obligations were ignored despite businesses making a lot of profit without alleviating pain from the society. Business is obliged to ensure that the major problem that is facing the society is solved without having to ask for returns. Nevertheless, we recommend that businesses should select the appropriate method that they want to use in order to ensure that water problem is solved completely. Another method that business can undertake in an attempt to increase access to water is undertaking a project of distributing piped water to the societies (Parker &Pearson, 2005. As an example, some of the developing countries especially African and Asian countries lack the ability to supply its people with clean water. Despite this problem being prevalent in these areas, businesses especially multinationals companies make huge returns from these areas as they exploit cheap labor therefore, increasing the gap between the rich and the poor. As a body of investors, it is true that we sometimes go through rough time especially now that the level of competition have increased with increased globalization but on the other hand, some of our business have made progress through dominating the markets thereby, accruing huge benefits from target consumers. This necessitates an obligation for the businesses to take part in a certain corporate social responsibility that will see the lives of the people improved (Parker &Pearson, 2005, p. 95) Ethical theories Business are profit minded and if they do not follow codes of ethics the local people would suffer as there is no body that is entitled with ensuring that these ethical theories are followed to the latter. Ethics therefore plays a great in ensuring that business gets concerned about the welfare of the local people (Howell, 2010, p.7). They also ensure that business coexist with the local people through solving their basic problems that they might be experiencing. Some of the ethical theories include: Deontology theory This theory is a non-consequential theory that states that people should ensure that they strictly follow their own will and obligation especially when dealing with an ethical dilemma. This theory puts an obligation to the businesses to look at society dilemmas and play a role in ensuring that all these dilemmas are solved. One of the dilemmas that faces majority of people is getting access to water. Through this theory business is obligated to ensure that it gives a helping hand to ensure that this problem is solved. For a long time many businesses have not been taking this responsibilities so as a body that is mandated to ensure that water is available for different people, it is important to draft policies that will ensure that businesses do not run away from this responsibility (Rainbow, 2002). Deontology theory also puts obligation to businesses to provide the employees and other stakeholders with basic human rights. As a result, before a business expounds its operations to the larger community, it is supposed to ensure that it satisfies the interests of its employees. This is because some businesses might take up the issue of providing water to the society as a way of creating its own image. This act has been associated with poor delivery of services by the companies as their action is aimed at being short lived. In order to avoid such cases, this body should put up measures that ensure that business social responsibilities are not aimed at increasing their market share but is to increase the welfare of the businesses. This move will also be beneficial in ensuring that any move by the business towards improvement of peoples living condition is genuine (Rainbow, 2002). Utilitarianism This theory was mainly founded on the ability to predict the repercussion of an action. Utilitarian believe that the selection that has the largest benefit to majority of the population is the one that is ethically right. Basing our argument on the utilitarian theory, any human being requires water for survival. As a result, business should take provision of water to the society as the first priority when deciding the most appropriate corporate social responsibility. The consequence of this move will have benefits to the society as whole. Business should therefore, be consequence oriented through ensuring that the consequence of their action does not impact on one section of the population but to the whole society (Rainbow, 2002). The main aim of this theory is to attain maximum good. As a result, business acts even when producing goods should take into consideration if the gases released in the atmosphere have an effect to the critical conditions of global warming. Initially, business has been cited as the major source of gases that cause global warming. This theory therefore, dictates that business should be morally wrong if it is providing services such as water on one side while releasing harmful gases on the other hand. This is because the theory dictates that business should do well without causing any harm to any individual person (Rainbow, 2002). Rights ethical theory This theory dictates that rights that are set by the society should be protected by either individual or corporate and must be prioritized. The only thing that an individual can do is to improve on those rights but not reduce their value. Businesses through their emissions have been violating these rights as this action degrade human environment through increasing the level of global warming. This has therefore, led to scarcity of water due to increased desertification an aspect that has led to death of human beings in some parts of the world. Water being a human right, its availability and access should be protected despite the businesses need to utilize the commodity as the process their products. Businesses have been violating this theory also through pollution of water. Human beings are entitled to clean water therefore any pollution by businesses is against the rights ethical theory. Businesses are therefore obliged to ensure that human water is clean from any industrial contaminations. This is through undertaking projects to supply clean water to the society around which might be affected by business operations (Rainbow, 2002). Virtue ethical theory This theory dictates that an individual entity should be described according to character it holds rather than an action committed which might be out of the normal behaviors. Businesses have been categorized in terms of their profitability. According to this theory, this notion should change and the business be categorized according to their outstanding character especially according to the concentration they give to the surrounding society. This categorization would improve business participation towards corporate social responsibility activities in order to be highly categorized (Rainbow, 2002). Moral issues in relation to water management Moral issue concerning water can be defined as commitment to ensure that there is information concerning the amelioration of local society’s water health, safety and all resources use issues. The moral issues are not just limited on water use but it also covers exploitation of any resource related to water together with how water use can be managed through technological advancement. Mainly, women assume the task of abstraction and even transportation of water to the whole society. This chore involves travelling for long distances in search for water (Carroll, 2004) Introduction of easy access water will enable women undertake other economical tasks an aspect that would improve the living standards of the people. This will also see a tremendous decrease in the rate of disease infections that are experienced in these countries. In many developing countries water is a precious commodity that is mainly protected by the cultural regulations. It is mainly shared among the population. Nevertheless, drinking water quality mainly depends with the income of an individual and the social status of the person. Environmental impacts concerning the contamination of water is shared equally among by the whole population. In case every business undertakes provision of water as its major project. The overall issue concerning both the quality and quantity of the water that the populations in developing countries are using would change (Botin, 2007, p. 14) It is important to note that there is a significant difference between ethical problem in relation to water and ethical problem that relates to the environment. Nevertheless both contribute to water availability. First, problems with water management are mainly perceived largely in terms of factors such as human health, economic development, loss of life and even food production. In determining the action to undertake in corporate social responsibility, it is important to select the appropriate measure to undertake (Botin, 2007). There is no body that is wholly mandated with protection of water and water sources. As results human beings have been left to control these resources with only minimal regulation from the government. One issue that would increase water management is to sensitize the community to be morally responsible for water management and use in order to conserve the little water that is available. Some of the unethical issues that are prohibited in connection to water management are the individual misuse of the available water through adding pollutants or overexploitation of the underground aquifers. This leads to the suffering of the whole society while the individual person benefits his/her own interests. Environment Current governments have started different campaigns against environmental degradation. Non-government organization and even global organizations have been formed to ensure that environment is protected. Some of the measures that have been undertaken by various governments include setting up policies and passing law that have increased regulation against environmental protection. Much emphasis on environmental protection has overshadowed the need to conserve water and set up policies to oversee that water use is properly managed. As a result, many companies have opted to undertake environmental conservation measures as their corporate social responsibilities. This has led to regulation water use being left under the stewardship of weak societal rules which are hard to implement as they lack legal powers and recognition. Morally it is inappropriate to declare that much emphasis have only been put on humans rather than environment. This is because human beings are the ones who have a mandate of taking care of the environment and if much emphasis is not put on human behavior actions in relation environmental pollution we cannot achieve the goal of having a sustainable environment (Ferrel, 2012). It is crucial to clarify that animals are not more important than human beings and environment. Nevertheless, it is also crucial to note that if these animals are not protected by law people might use these loopholes to kill them in order to make use of their products. As a result, not only does the government have a mandate of protecting animals but it has a mandate of ensuring that they are provided with a serene environment to reproduce in order to prevent them from becoming extinct. It is important for all stakeholders e.g. society, government, non-governmental organization etc to balance their concern between human beings, environment and animals. It is important for human beings to manipulate the environment in order for it to supply the required needs by humans. Currently, water levels have decreased leading to changes in the water cycles in the world. If the condition is not checked the world might suffer from a major water shortage. The current rate of population increase is putting pressure on the environment. As a result, there is need to use human knowledge and available technologies to manipulate the environment in order to enable it sustain the current large population (Visser, 2010). Environmentalism is not an ideology but instead it is a moral imperative. Every individual has a moral obligation to take care of the environment. It is the mandate of every person to ensure that environment around him/her is serene for survival. This task is not a plea but an obligation that must be followed for human survival. Some of the issues that must be emphasized include water and air pollution an aspect that should be protected by humans by just a virtue of being in existence. Human beings divide the environment according to its economic importance. As a result, environmental protection has not been taken care as a whole but as in parts. This has caused environmental imbalance. Water role has also been neglected by environmental conservatives. Despite the role played by water in sustaining the whole ecosystem, this has been ignored leading to poor management of water by the population. It is important to note that management of water resources plays a major part in impacting on all aspects of the society together with the economy. Some of the aspects that are impacted on include food security, sanitation, health, energy, tourism industry etc (Ferrel, 2012, p.38). Human rights to water Any corporation that is concerned about the existence of its consumers should invest heavily on water access by its consumers. It is the high time that the world come together and acknowledges that water is a basic need and for human being to exist all measures should be put in place to ensure that the remaining waters are taken care of appropriately. In addition setting up universal human right to water will put emphasis on the people and major multinationals to guard water resource. Formation of this right will also enable the few bodies that are mandated in ensuring that water is protected have more powers to prosecute governments, corporations and even individuals who violate this right (Visser, 2010). Different bodies have come up in open to declare their refusal in acknowledging that there is need to respect already existing water rights. Australia diplomatic circles action is an indication that water issue should be undertaken just like any other human right and everyone should be obliged to respect this right just like any other existing human right and failure to do so will give such bodies an opportunity to exploit water and its resources. In addition societies should also be forced to adhere to these rights and failure to follow them should attract stern penalties (Crane & Matten, 2007). Bottled water With increasing level of concern on health issue many companies are joining bottled water business. There is no regulation on water use by these companies and this has resulted to misuse water with such business making 100% profits. No one has legal ownership of water as it is a universal right. As a result, all companies that accrue their revenues from branding water should participate immensely in corporate social responsibilities. Governments should put up measures that would ensure that these companies follow these rules and regulations for them to fit in bottled water business. Once a company fail to follow these rules, their licenses should be revoked with immediate effect (Banerjee, 2008). Conclusion Business survival depends on the survival of the customers. The population that makes the market cannot survive if water quantity and quality is not protected legally. Just like global security bodies e.g. united nation Security Council, bodies that are mandated with water sources and its use should be given prosecution powers in order to enforce these laws. Many attempts by different bodies to make water a universal human right has been curtailed by different strong bodies and corporations due to their own selfish needs but it is the high time that we stand out to be counted in agitating for protection of one of our rights. Failure to do so will lead to extinction of human species in the earth. In addition all businesses should join hands to ensure that they support any measure that would improve water availability and quality levels. References Alzola, M. 2008. When urgency matters? On non-discretionary corporate social responsibility. Human systems of management, 27(1), 273-282. Banerjee, S. B. 2008. Corporate social responsibility: The good, the bad and the ugly. Critical Sociology, 34(1), 51-79. Botin, M. 2007. Water Ethics. Retrieved May 17, 2012, from http://http://waterethics.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Water-Ethics.pdf Carroll, A. B. 2004. Managing ethically with global stakeholders: A present and future challenge. Academy of management executive, 18(2), 114-120. Crane, A., & Matten, D. 2007. Understanding business ethics. Ferrel, O. C. 2012. Business ethics: Ethical Decision Making & Cases. Maon: Cengage Learning. Howell, R. 2010. Choosing Ethical Theories and Principles and Applying them to the Question: 'Should the seas be owned?'. 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