Water. In some parts of the world it is so easily available that it becomes almost invisible. With a turn of the tap, it flows on command. However, this availability is not guaranteed. Climate change, population growth, pollution, and poor governance are tightening the global grip on water. A quarter of the global population is already living under water-stressed conditions (1). The Red Cross recently warned that water scarcity is no longer a hypothetical concern for the future, it is already showing as a driver of displacement, inequality, and in some cases, conflict (2). This stands in contrast to the United Nations’ 2010 recognition of water and sanitation as fundamental human rights (4).

This article shows how access to clean water is increasingly under stress. It examines how structural inequalities determine access, control, and vulnerability. What happens when the most basic human need becomes subject to scarcity, competition, and commodification? And more urgently: what does it mean when the right to water is undermined by a global political economy that treats it not as a right, but as a resource to be owned or traded?

The future is thirsty

Already today, according to the WHO, one in four people lacks access to safely managed drinking water (1). Safely managed drinking water is defined by the World Health Organization as water that is available when needed, and free from contamination. But even where water sources are present, they are not necessarily safe: many are polluted by industrial discharge, agricultural runoff, or compromised by outdated and failing infrastructure (3).

As rivers recede and aquifers dry up, existing power asymmetries are increased. Globally, the United Nations has identified over 270 river basins that cross national borders, shared by a total of 148 countries. While many of these basins are governed by international treaties or cooperative frameworks, such agreements are often fragile and outdated. Shared water resources risk becoming triggers for regional instability.

Even in countries historically characterized by water abundance, like the Netherlands, the problem is rising. Despite recent efforts to retain more water in soil and natural systems, Dutch water authorities increasingly acknowledge that drought is becoming a risk (6, 7, 8). Regional water boards are calling for a fundamental shift in how water is valued, allocated, and governed. Which landscapes and livelihoods are protected, and which are sacrificed? As the climate is changing and pressure on freshwater resources intensifies, the question is not simply whether there will be enough water, but rather, for whom.

Who controls the tap? Power, privilege, and access

Wealthier households, municipalities, and nations often possess the financial and political capital to shield themselves from the immediate effects of drought or infrastructure failure. Whether through private wells, desalination technology, bottled water, or emergency reserves, access can be maintained. By contrast, economically marginalized communities are often the first to face disconnection or contamination, even in regions where water resources have not yet reached critical scarcity (5).

An example is seen in large corporations like Coca Cola. In the 1920s, Coca-Cola opened a bottling plant in Chiapas, one of the poorest states in Mexico. As the company needs a lot of water for their operations, Coca-Cola’s presence in the region led to intense extraction of groundwater (10). The large-scale water extraction declined the local water tables, and thus reduced the availability of clean water for residents and agricultural use. Next to this, failing wastewater treatment infrastructure resulted in contamination of the already scarce local water sources (10).

The effects of these practices have disproportionately impacted Indigenous and low-income communities (11). Access to safe drinking water has decreased and residents are facing increasing health risks due to contaminated water (12). Ironically, Coca-Cola products have become a dominant part of the local diet, with some communities consuming more soda than water due to its affordability and availability (9, 10). This shift has contributed to even more health issues like high rates of diabetes and obesity (12).

Sustainability reports state that Coca-Cola is fully aware of the environmental impact of its operations (13, 14). Despite implementing conservation programs, the company continues to extract large amounts of groundwater. Coca-Cola has implemented multiple sustainability measures, such as investing in advanced water-saving technologies. This reduced water usage by 10 percent since 2015 (13, 14). Next to this, they have developed watershed protection programs in sixty locations to address water security issues (13). While these initiatives suggest corporate commitment to sustainability, it can be argued that they serve more as public relations efforts (15).

The privatization of water adds a further layer of structural inequality. In such cases, access to clean water is determined not by need, but by the ability to pay. Corporations profit from bottled water markets even when communities lack safe tap water. Short-term solutions such as drilling deeper wells, importing bottled water, or promoting individualized conservation campaigns, fail to address the systemic problems of water injustice. These responses treat scarcity as a technical or behavioral issue, rather than a socio-political condition. Hence, a reframing of the problem is needed. Not simply as a question of supply and demand, but as a question of distribution, governance, and accountability. This requires investment in regulatory frameworks that hold polluters and extractive industries to account; and the political will to prioritize human rights over private profit. The question is no longer whether water scarcity will affect us, but who will bear its weight and who gets to decide. Companies with a global size have the opportunity to set industry-wide sustainability standards, and could encourage other corporations to follow. Shall we?

This article is part of The Outside World, ftrprf’s very own research center.

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2. Rode Kruis. “Waarom de oorlog van de toekomst om water zal gaan. Rode Kruis. Accessed on June 29, 2025. https://www.rodekruis.nl/nieuwsbericht/waarom-de-oorlog-van-de-toekomst-om-water-zal-gaan/
3. European Commission. “Access water and sanitation”. European commission. Accessed on July 1, 2025. https://international-partnerships.ec.europa.eu/policies/human-development/access-water-and-sanitation_en
4. United Nations. “Human rights to water and sanitation”. United Nations. Accesses on July 2, 2025. https://www.unwater.org/water-facts/human-rights-water-and-sanitation
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