At a recent meeting of the UN Human Rights Council, Msgr. John Putzer spoke of “the gravity of the global water crisis that humanity is facing and which is aggravated by the financialization of water, climate change and the recent COVID-19 pandemic.”

“Universal access to drinking water is central to promoting the dignity of the human person and has always been a priority for the Holy See,” he added. “As Pope Francis has repeatedly stated, ‘access to safe drinkable water is a basic and universal human right, since it is essential to human survival and, as such, is a condition for the exercise of other human rights.’”