A/HRC/33/49/Add.3 24. Rainfall is already decreasing and the temperature rise in Botswana is expected to exceed the world average. A study shows that, with the combination of climate change and an increasing demand for water, the level of water stress in Botswana is expected to double from 1.48 (low-medium risk) in 2010 to 3.00 (high risk) in 2040.8 One government official with whom the Special Rapporteur met during his visit admitted that Botswana would face a catastrophic situation if the current level of water availability continued and if further measures were not taken to address it. Given the already water scarce environment in Botswana, there is an urgent need for the Government to take strategic measures to secure water resources, on the one hand, and to manage water demand, on the other hand. Another challenge to water resources management in Botswana is the fact that self-providers consume half of the water in Botswana for their own use in agriculture, mining and other sectors. The Government has been making efforts to manage water demand, for instance, by investing in technology for efficient water use in mining, agriculture and other industries. One of the priorities of the Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism is water conservation and wastewater management. However, the Government needs to take a comprehensive approach to prioritize the securing of water for personal and domestic use and allocate sufficient institutional, financial and human resources to manage water resources and water demand. The Special Rapporteur takes the opportunity to remind the Government that the human rights to water and sanitation provide useful guidance for all these measures, including planning for resilience to climate change. The human rights framework includes the principles of sustainability and non-retrogression, equality and participation as well as the right to information. Prioritization of water for personal and domestic use (i.e., drinking, personal and household hygiene, food preparation, washing of clothes, personal sanitation) over other uses of water must be explicitly guaranteed. 25. Water rationing is regularly implemented as a measure to address the scarcity of water resources. Consequently, the supply of water is unreliable. Given the extreme drought situation at the time of the visit, the Ministry of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources had imposed starker water rationing measures. In late October and the beginning of November 2015, only limited areas of the Greater Gaborone area had a regular supply of water, while some areas had water with low pressure and others had no water at all. Those who had the means were buying water from private companies and storing it in large tanks. Many people with whom the Special Rapporteur met in Gaborone were simply storing water in buckets and jugs. In a health centre that the Special Rapporteur visited, there was no water in the toilets or in the examination rooms. In fact, the centre was in the process of procuring a water tank, in the middle of the drought, with the support of the Government. Since Botswana constantly experiences water scarcity and water rationing, contingency plans, such as the installation of large water tanks in public institutions, must be put in place and implemented in advance. One of the human rights obligations of States is that water supply must be continuous. Moreover, retrogression in access to water can be considered a human rights violation. While controlled water rationing may be unavoidable in extreme situations, frequent lack of water in pipelines can lead to increased contamination of the water mains through the intrusion of harmful substances. Experience suggests that water rationing through intermittent supply is a false economy, as this invariably leads to increased losses. Rationing also poses a pattern of discrimination as it impacts the most disadvantaged hardest. 26. Water loss is a serious concern in a water scarce country like Botswana. Half of the water produced is wasted due to leakage and inefficient management practices. By 8 8 Andrew Maddocks, Robert Samuel Young and Paul Reig, “Ranking the world’s most water-stressed countries in 2040” (World Resources Institute, 2015), available at www.wri.org/blog/2015/08/ ranking-world%E2%80%99s-most-water-stressed-countries-2040. GE.16-12031