councilor.org
| Source | Dave Anderson |
| Date | 01/08/28/01:09 |
| http://www.ifg.org/bgsummary.html
> Report Summary > BLUE GOLD > THE GLOBAL WATER CRISIS AND THE > COMMODIFICATION OF THE WORLD'S WATER SUPPLY > > By Maude Barlow > Chair, IFG Committee on the Globalization of Water > National Chair, Council of Canadians > June 1999 > A Special Report > Produced and Published by > the International Forum on Globalization (IFG) > > > > "The wars of the next century will be about water." > · The World Bank > > REPORT SUMMARY > We'd like to believe there's an infinite supply of > fresh water on the planet. But the assumption is > tragically false. Available fresh water amounts to > less than one half of one percent of all the water > on Earth. The rest is sea water, or is frozen in the > polar ice. Fresh water is renewable only by > rainfall, at the rate of 40-50,000 cubic km per > year. > Global consumption of water is doubling every 20 > years, more than twice the rate of human population > growth. According to the United Nations, more than > one billion people on Earth already lack access to > fresh drinking water. If current trends persist, by > 2025 the demand for fresh water is expected to rise > by 56 percent more than is currently available. > As the water crisis intensifies, governments around > the world - under pressure from multinational > corporations - are advocating a radical solution: > the commodification and mass transport of water. > Proponents of commodification, and subsequent > privatization, say that such a system is the only > way to distribute water to the world's thirsty. But, > in fact, experience shows that selling water on the > open market does not address the needs of poor, > thirsty people. On the contrary, privatized water is > delivered to those who can pay for it, such as > wealthy cities and individuals and water intensive > industries such as agriculture and high-tech. As one > resident of the high desert in New Mexico observed > after his community's water was diverted for use by > the high-tech industry: "Water flows uphill to > money." > The push to commodify water comes at a time when the > social, political and economic impacts of water > scarcity are rapidly becoming a destabilizing force, > with water-related conflicts springing up around the > globe. For example, Malaysia, which supplies about > half of Singapore's water, threatened to cut off > that supply in 1997 after Singapore criticized its > government policies. In Africa, relations between > Botswana and Namibia have been severely strained by > Namibian plans to construct a pipeline to divert > water from the shared Okavango River to eastern > Namibia. Much has been written about the potential > for water wars in the Middle East, where water > resources are severely limited.. > Meanwhile, the future of one of the earth's most > vital resources is being determined by those who > profit from its overuse and abuse. At the annual > World Economic Development Congress, which follows > the annual International Monetary Fund/World Bank > meeting, corporations and financial institutions met > with government representatives from more than 84 > countries to attend panels on such subjects as > "Overcoming Obstacles to Water Investment" and > "Navigating Transparency and Banking Regulation in > Emerging Capital Markets." The agenda was clear: > water should be treated like any other tradable > good, with its use determined by market principles. > At the same time, governments are signing away their > control over domestic water supplies by > participating in trade treaties such as the North > American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and > institutions such as the World Trade Organization > (WTO). These agreements effectively give > transnational corporations the unprecedented right > to the water of signatory countries. > Already, corporations have started to sue > governments in order to gain access to domestic > water sources. For example, Sun Belt, a California > company, is suing the government of Canada under > NAFTA because British Columbia (B.C.) banned water > exports several years ago. The company claims that > B.C.'s law violates several NAFTA-based investor > rights and therefore is claiming US$220 million in > compensation for lost profits. > With the protection of these international trade > agreements, companies are setting their sights on > the mass transport of bulk water by diversion and by > super tanker. Several companies are developing > technology whereby large quantities of fresh water > would be loaded into huge sealed bags and towed > across the ocean for sale. > The U.S. Global Water Corporation, a Canadian > company, is one of those seeking to be a major > player in the water trade. It has signed an > agreement with Sitka, Alaska, to export 18 billion > gallons per year of glacier water to China where it > will be bottled in one of that country's "free > trade" zones to take advantage of cheap labor. The > company brochure entices investors "to harvest the > accelerating opportunity...as traditional sources of > water around the world become progressively depleted > and degraded." > Selling water to the highest bidder will only > exacerbate the worst impacts of the world water > crisis. > Social Inequity > In India, some households pay a staggering 25 > percent of their income on water. > Poor residents of Lima, Peru, pay private vendors as > much as $3 for a cubic meter for buckets of > often-contaminated water while the more affluent pay > 30 cents per cubic meter for treated municipal tap > water. > In the maquiladora zones of Mexico, water is so > scarce that babies and children drink Coca-Cola and > Pepsi instead. > Disease > More than five million people, most of them > children, die every year from illnesses caused by > drinking poor-quality water. > Food Insecurity > China is facing the likelihood of severe grain > shortages because of water depletion and the current > shift of limited water resources from agriculture to > industry and cities. The resulting demand for grain > in China could exceed the world's available > exportable supply. > During a drought crisis in northern Mexico in 1995, > the government cut water supplies to local farmers > while ensuring emergency supplies to the mostly > foreign-controlled industries of the region. > Environmental Destruction > Around the world, the answer to the increase in > water demand has been to build more environmentally > destructive dams and divert more rivers. The number > of large dams worldwide has climbed from just over > 5,000 in 1950 to 38,000 today. > In the U.S., only 2 percent of the country's rivers > and wetlands remain free-flowing and undeveloped; as > a result, the country has lost more than half of its > wetlands. > Eighty percent of China's major rivers are so > degraded they no longer support fish. > In the U.S., the epicenter of freshwater diversity > in the world, 37 percent of freshwater fish are at > risk of extinction, 50 percent of crayfish and 40 > percent of amphibians are imperiled, and 67 percent > of freshwater mussels are extinct or vulnerable to > extinction. > In the Great Lakes system, the Nature Conservancy > has identified 100 species and 31 ecological > communities at risk > A number of key research and environmental > organizations such as Worldwatch Institute, World > Resources Institute and the United Nations > Environment Program have been sounding the alarm for > well over a decade: If water usage continues to > increase at current rates, the results will be > devastating for the earth and its inhabitants. > Groups such as the International Rivers Network, > Greenpeace, Clean Waters Network, Sierra Club and > Friends of the Earth International, along with > thousands of community groups around the world, are > fighting the construction of new dams, reclaiming > damaged rivers and wetlands, confronting industry > over contamination of water systems, and protecting > whales and other aquatic species from hunting and > overfishing. In a number of countries, experts have > come up with some exciting and creative solutions to > these problems. > This work is crucial, yet such efforts need to be > coordinated and understood in the broader context of > economic globalization and its role in promoting > privatization and commodification. > The Blue Gold report addresses the following issues: > Who owns water? Should anyone? Should it be > privatized? What rights do transnational > corporations have to buy water systems? Should it be > traded as a commodity in the open market? What laws > do we need to protect water? What is the role of > government? How do we share water in water-rich > countries with those in water-poor countries? Who is > the custodian for nature's lifeblood? How do > ordinary citizens become involved in this process? > As Georg Wurmitzer, mayor of the small town of > Simitz in the Austrian Alps, states: "It is a sacred > duty to help someone who is suffering from thirst. > However, it is a sin to transfer water just so that > people can flush their toilets and wash their cars > in dry areas...It makes no sense and is ecological > and economic madness." > > * * * > > The next World Water Forum is being held in The > Hague in March 2000. Chaired by World Bank Vice > President Ismail Serageldin, this meeting is part of > the continuing activities of the World Water > Council, formed by governments, international > agencies, and private sector in 1997 after the first > World Water Forum held in Marrakesh, Morocco. > The World Water Council has formed various > partnerships with private corporations including the > Global Water Partnership and Business Partners for > Development. The web sites and reports of these > organizations make it clear that some of the largest > water privateers are taking the lead in developing > water policies of international organizations and > governments. > Instead of allowing this vital resource to become a > commodity sold to the highest bidder, this report > advocates that access to clean water for basic needs > is a fundamental human right. Each generation must > ensure that the abundance and quality of water is > not diminished as a result of its activities. > Greater efforts must be made to restore the health > of aquatic ecosystems that have already been > degraded as well as to protect others from harm. We > believe that the following ten principles will help > to protect water: > 1) Water belongs to the earth and all species > 2) Water should be left where it is wherever > possible > 3) Water must be conserved for all time > 4) Polluted water must be reclaimed > 5) Water is best protected in natural watersheds > 6) Water is a public trust to be guarded at all > levels of government > 7)An adequate supply of clean water is a basic human > right > 8)The best advocates for water are local communities > and citizens > 9)The public must participate as an equal partner > with government to protect water > 10) Economic globalization policies are not water > sustainable > > ABOUT THE AUTHOR > Maude Barlow > The Council of Canadians, Canada > > A well known public speaker, organizer and media > commentator, Maude Barlow ***.She is the national > volunteer chairperson of the Council of Canadians > and the > founding co-chair of Action Canada Network. > Previously a senior advisor to Pierre Trudeau during > his administration, she was also one of Canada's > leading voices in the battle against the U.S.-Canada > Free Trade Agreement and NAFTA, as well as a central > figure in the international citizens' movement that > brought to a halt negotiations on the Multilateral > Agreement on Investments (MAI) at the Organization > for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). > Barlow has been recognized with the Ontario > Teacher's Federation's highest award for her > contribution to education and equality in schools. > She is a best-selling author whose works include The > MAI and the Threat to American Freedom, Class > Warfare: The Assault on Canada's Schools with > Heather-Jane Robertson, Parcel of Rogues, Take Back > the Nation with Bruce Campbell, and Straight Through > the Heart, a critical examination of the Liberal > government's role in developing and dismantling > Canada's social programs. Her most recent > publication, The Fight of My Life, is an > autobiography of her years of public service. Barlow > holds an honorary doctorate from Memorial > University. > Publications Order Form > IFG Publications > IFG Home Page |
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