Pope Francis dies, staunch defender of the human right to water – Smart Water Magazine

The Transformative Papacy of Pope Francis and the Emphasis on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The death of Pope Francis marks the end of a spiritually, socially, and environmentally transformative papacy. For over a decade at the helm of the Catholic Church, Jorge Mario Bergoglio placed water at the center of his moral teachings, unambiguously proclaiming access to safe drinking water as a basic, fundamental, and universal human right.

In a world plagued by inequality, climate change, and environmental degradation, Francis not only clearly denounced the abuses of this vital resource but also inspired a new ethical perspective on water management—one that continues to shape the global water agenda. His voice, both firm and poetic, turned “sister water” into a symbol of human dignity, intergenerational justice, and care for our common home.

An Encyclical that Changed the Language of Water: Laudato si’

In May 2015, Pope Francis issued one of his most influential works: the encyclical Laudato si’, on the care for creation. For the first time, a magisterial document of such scale gave clear attention to environmental issues, blending spiritual messages with scientific and social perspectives. Within that framework, water took on an unprecedented role.

“Access to safe drinking water is a basic, fundamental and universal human right.” – Pope Francis, Laudato si’ (2015)

Pope Francis wrote: “Access to safe drinking water is a basic, fundamental and universal human right, because it is essential to human survival.” He condemned pollution, hoarding, speculation, and institutional neglect. He warned that the current model of development—driven by wastefulness and economic profit—threatens the sustainability of water resources, particularly for the poorest.

Beyond analysis, Laudato si’ offered a conceptual framework that still inspires many in the water sector: integral ecology. This vision acknowledges the interdependence between humans and nature and asserts that social and environmental crises cannot be addressed separately. In this context, water emerges as essential for health, nutrition, hygiene, and peaceful coexistence. Its scarcity or contamination is thus a form of structural violence.

Francis at the UN: “Clean Water for All, Now”

A few months after Laudato si’ was published, Pope Francis addressed the UN General Assembly for the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In his speech, he firmly defended the effective right to drinking water and sanitation as vital to human progress.

“The simplest and most appropriate criteria for measuring the implementation of this agenda is the actual access of all people to essential material and spiritual goods: housing, dignified work, adequate food, drinking water, religious freedom,” he stated. His words became a regular reference for international organizations, NGOs, and water and development experts.

That day, Pope Francis didn’t only speak to world leaders—he spoke to the billions who still live without safe water, calling for an end to its treatment as a commodity and urging its transformation into public policy.

The Cry of Water at the Vatican

The Pope’s efforts went beyond declarations at global forums. In February 2017, he convened an international seminar at the Vatican on the human right to water. There, he delivered one of his most direct and prophetic speeches: “Are we not heading toward a great world war over water?” he asked before scientists, political leaders, and religious figures.

He reminded them that a thousand children die each day from causes related to contaminated water, and that lack of sanitation access is a silent form of exclusion. Within this context, Francis strongly criticized economic interests overriding fundamental rights and insisted that “water has no price, because it is more valuable than gold.”

“To defend water is to defend life.” – Pope Francis, seminar on the human right to water (2017)

That meeting was pivotal in shaping a global narrative of water as a common good, both morally and politically. Since then, the Holy See—through the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development—has consistently supported public policies, cooperation programs, and education initiatives focused on water.

World Water Day: From Denunciation to Action

Each year, on World Water Day, Francis used his platform to deliver messages blending analysis, condemnation, and commitment. In 2019, under the theme “Leave no one behind,” he wrote: “Committing to water is committing to justice. Enough of playing games with a human right like access to water.” In 2021, during the Angelus prayer, he once again emphasized that “water is for everyone and belongs to everyone.”

Pope Francis made access to drinking water one of the cornerstones of his magisterium

He also stressed the need to educate in a culture of care, warning against waste and indifference. “For us believers,” he stated, “water is not a commodity: it is a universal symbol and a source of life and health.” Following the spiritual example of St. Francis of Assisi, his role model, the Pope often reminded the faithful that giving drink to the thirsty is a work of mercy that today must be translated into effective policy and concrete solidarity.

Amazon, Africa, Middle East: A Church that Hears the Cry for Water

Pope Francis’s commitment to water was also evident in his closeness to communities directly affected by lack of access. In the Amazon Synod (2019) and the apostolic exhortation Querida Amazonia (2020), he denounced river pollution and the devastating impact of illegal mining and deforestation on Indigenous peoples.

His encyclical Laudato si’ marked a turning point by placing the issue of water at the heart of ethical, social, and environmental debates

He supported networks such as REPAM and Caritas, as well as “water university” projects and environmental education efforts in Latin America and Africa. At the 9th World Water Forum in Dakar (2022), he reiterated his message: “Our world thirsts for peace, just as it thirsts for water.” He lamented that thousands of communities in conflict zones—such as Syria, Iraq, or South Sudan—have seen their water sources destroyed by war or neglect.

A Legacy for All Water Sector Stakeholders

Pope Francis was not an engineer, hydrologist, or manager. But he clearly understood the great water challenges of the 21st century and offered the world an essential ethical compass. His legacy speaks to governments, businesses, NGOs, academic institutions, and the media: water must no longer be a symbol of exclusion or a cause for conflict.

In this era of climate emergency, Francis taught that ensuring safe drinking water for all is both an ethical and ecological priority. His insistence on the link between climate change and water scarcity helped raise this issue to the highest levels of global discussion.

From Laudato si’ to his final messages, Francis made it clear that water is much more than a resource: it is a condition for life, an expression of human fraternity, and a reflection of our civilization’s true priorities.

Today, the water sector loses one of its most influential voices. But his message—“To defend water is to defend life”—will continue to inspire those who, through science, engineering, politics, or spirituality, strive to ensure water reaches everyone, especially those who need it most.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: smartwatermagazine.com