The right to water in the new Constitutions of Morocco (2011) and Tunisia (2014) ; El derecho al agua en las nuevas Constituciones de Marruecos (2011) y Túnez (2014)

Abstract

AbstractThe legal regime of water in Morocco and Tunisia is still a composite of legislation and customs but in which Muslim law has lose ground since both countries proceeded to uproot the water regime of Muslim law by not contemplating in Its legislation references to Muslim law as a source of law unlike what happens in other sectors of property law.In Morocco the constitutionally guaranteed content of the right to water seems to be limited to equal access to this natural resource. This is a mandate that has not been configured as an obligation of result, since the heading of art. 31 of the Moroccan Constitution mandates public authorities to mobilize resources, which implies a duty to perform that should guide public policies. From art. 44 of the Tunisian Constitution only it follows as a concrete obligation the rational use imposed not only on the State but also on society as well as the preservation of existing water, which admits to be understood both, as a duty to preserve the quality of the Water that must include its sanitation, and as a duty to preserve the existing water quantity promoting its rational use.The way in which the right to water is formulated in both Constitutions can be seen as a reflection of the embryonic dogmatic status of content of emerging rights, such as the right to food, housing or water. It is therefore required a task of delimitation and hermeneutical concreteness in order to specify the contours of this right. This essay will examine the new proposed legislation after the new Constitutions. ; Resumen:El régimen jurídico del agua en Marruecos y Túnez sigue siendo todavía a día de hoy un compuesto de legislación y costumbres pero en el que el Derecho musulmán ha ido retrocediendo ya que ambos países procedieron a desarraigar el régimen del agua del Derecho musulmán al no contemplar en su legislación referencias al derecho musulmán como fuente del derecho a diferencia de lo que ocurre en otros sectores del Derecho de bienes.En Marruecos el contenido constitucionalmente garantizado del derecho al agua parece limitarse al igual acceso a este recurso natural. Se trata de un mandato que no se ha sido configurado como una obligación de resultado, dado que el encabezado del art. 31 de la Constitución marroquí mandata a que se movilicen recursos por parte de los poderes públicos, lo que supone una obligación de hacer que debe orientar las políticas públicas. Del art. 44 de la Constitución de Túnez solo se extrae como obligación concreta la de un uso racional impuesto no solo al Estado sino a la sociedad y también la preservación del agua ya existente, lo cual admite ser entendido tanto como un deber de preservación de la calidad del agua que debe comportar su saneamiento, como un deber de preservación de la cantidad de agua existente promocionando su uso racional.El modo en que está formulado el derecho al agua en ambas Constitucionespuede considerarse un reflejo del embrionario estado dogmático en que se encuentra el desarrollo del contenido de derechos emergentes como el derecho a la alimentación, a la vivienda o al agua. Se requiere por tanto una tarea de delimitación y de concreción hermenéutica que precise los contornos de este derecho. Para ello se examinará la nueva legislación promulgada tras las nuevas Constituciones.AbstractThe legal regime of water in Morocco and Tunisia is still a composite of legislation and customs but in which Muslim law has lose ground since both countries proceeded to uproot the water regime of Muslim law by not contemplating in Its legislation references to Muslim law as a source of law unlike what happens in other sectors of property law.In Morocco the constitutionally guaranteed content of the right to water seems to be limited to equal access to this natural resource. This is a mandate that has not been configured as an obligation of result, since the heading of art. 31 of the Moroccan Constitution mandates public authorities to mobilize resources, which implies a duty to perform that should guide public policies. From art. 44 of the Tunisian Constitution only it follows as a concrete obligation the rational use imposed not only on the State but also on society as well as the preservation of existing water, which admits to be understood both, as a duty to preserve the quality of the Water that must include its sanitation, and as a duty to preserve the existing water quantity promoting its rational use.The way in which the right to water is formulated in both Constitutions can be seen as a reflection of the embryonic dogmatic status of content of emerging rights, such as the right to food, housing or water. It is therefore required a task of delimitation and hermeneutical concreteness in order to specify the contours of this right. This essay will examine the new proposed legislation after the new Constitutions.