A Modern State And Public Water Systems

“Water Wars: Privatization, Pollution, and Profit” were written by Vandana Shiva, depicting the water issues currently in India and how its shortage may cause a war in the future. Her book is really informative and descriptive to present what water practice in comparison to how they have been used. Shiva also expresses how those problems, which collaborated to methods and process throughout the world in general, specifically in India, as well as on an international level. She uses different involved projects, scientist research and statistical report, which changed over year to support her arguments. She debates about privatization, analyzes the complex of growing industry and agriculture of water, and environment due to community management and ecology that water continues to be used with the unsustainable method. Throughout Water Wars book, Shiva lists various evidences to assist her claims and she still believes that water is a gift from nature so the human has no right to destroy it.

The chapter provided information on how water is constantly shaping society. One of the topics discussed in the chapter is Neoliberalism. Here it was discussed that today water is privately owned or also known as water privatization. With this water is treated like a commodity as if it was just an object in the local store. The chapter states that, “Neoliberalism is in the first instance a theory of political economic practices that proposes that human well-being can best be advanced by liberating individual entrepreneurial freedoms” (Citation). Although many

This gives way to the idea of a socially produced scarcity where corporate and private interests for short-term economic growth linked with the rise of corporate power is converting the abundance of a resource into one that is scarce (Shiva, 2002). As such, water private companies should be excluded from water management, and more efforts should be directed towards instilling a "water democracy". She argues that this dichotomy on both sides of the spectrum of the water governance versus privatization debate are a reflecting of equitable versus inequitable distribution. Water scarcity is a reflection of the users that manage it and the systems that are in place to deliver and distribute water from known aquifers. While this may not be true in more drought stressed areas of the world, in a province like Ontario, it certainly is a reflection of governance, not geographic factors. This urges for a decentralized, community-based, democratic water management under which water conservation will be politically, socio-economically, and culturally inspired rather than economically-motivated. A private regime would provide incentives for water conservation through pricing since the perception of scarcity correlates to increased prices. Problems are evident with our current governance system as well as the private sector and P3s are certainly not a

Water privatization is a considerable problem in the world, and companies like Nestlé are declaring that water is not a human right and opening up water to be sold to the highest bidder. Private companies must be highly regulated before we hand over a significant amount of water. Everyone can agree we are in a fresh water crisis with lakes, rivers and streams drying up, and the rest getting polluted. Mother nature cannot keep up with our consumption and many underdeveloped countries are suffering the worst.

Around the biosphere, rivers, lakes, and aquifers are diminishing faster than Mother Nature can possibly replace them; business and household chemicals are quickly polluting what’s left. Meanwhile, global population is ticking upward. Goldman Sachs guesstimates that global water intake is doubling every 20 years, and the United Nations considers demand to surpass stock by more than 30 percent come 2040. In the industrialized world, America particularly, it’s easy to take water for granted. Turn on any tap, and it comes rushing out, sparkling and abundant, even in the parched Southwest, where the Colorado River Basin is besieged through its 11th year of scarcity; in most cities a month’s stock still costs less than first-rate cable or a lavish cell-phone plan. Many of us have no knowledge where our water comes from, let alone who retains it. In fact, most of us would probably reach a decision that water is too valuable for anybody to own. But the privileges to deter water from a river or lake or underground aquifer are indeed sellable merchandises; as well as the plants and pipes that clean the water and carry it to our taps. As demand surpasses supply, those supplies are set to appreciate quickly. According to a 2009 report by the World Bank, “private investment in the water industry is set to double in the next five years; the water-supply market alone will increase by 20

Groundwater is the main source of drinkable water in the world. Groundwater represents about 90% of the world’s readily available freshwater resource, and some 1.5 billion people depend upon groundwater for their drinking water (Vital Water Graphics 1). Although we are surrounded by vast bodies of water, only 2.5% of the commodity is fresh water. The environmental disruption of water privatization has caused a scarcity of water around the world, especially in third world countries. Agricultural water use accounts for about 75% of total global consumption - mainly through crop irrigation - while industrial use accounts for about 20%, and the remaining 5% is used for domestic purposes (Vital water Graphics 3). Many countries depend on groundwater for drinking and agricultural growth, but with the increase of water extraction from large companies, such as coca cola, these communities will become hindered in the grand scheme of life. Water in some unfortunate countries has always been scarce, yet big companies continue to thrive on the fact that they can use deception in order to maintain that countries natural resource. By definition, a commodity is sold to the highest bidder, not the customer with the most compelling moral claim (The New Oil 3). In our society today, companies are so consumed with greed that they show no moral regard for others. Companies completely disregard people in order to get a hold of water to create their precious

Water is the most important substance in the universe today, without it people would not be able to continue existence. Water covers most part of our planet, only a small number of the world’s water is fresh water. People need freshwater to drink, bathe, and irrigate our farm fields. But the shortage of water resources has become one of the main problems of the 21st century in the world, more and more regions are affected by long-term water shortage problems. Everyone has the right to require access to enough clean water. Using and drinking clean, safe water is a human right. However, water privatization has been increasing, more and more corporations have

As water becomes a more scarce resource across the globe due to climate change, there are debates on whether water is a human right versus a commodity. A commodity, meaning a good, or service that needs to be bought in the capitalist economic system. Privatization is one way of attempting to solve the water crisis, which the U.N. has been dealing with since the 1990s. It is estimated that “40 % of the world’s citizens do not have dependable access to potable water supplies.” By opening the market for privatization of water allows companies to bring their technology and resources into areas that lack quality drinking water. Although there are many critiques of the corporations and the World Bank’s argument favoring privatization of water, which will be addressed later on.

Water competition is growing, and it is becoming a economic problem. Government and companies started to treat water as a far more precious resource than they have in the past. Some companies have already worked with the Nature Conservancy to protect freshwater sources in Latin America. Some countries have built industries in desalination to tackle its own water scarcity problems. Companies face risks to their reputation—they need to consider how their use of water will be viewed by the communities around them.

Of all the water on earth, 97% of it is unusable and undrinkable, which leaves us with a measly 3% of freshwater. But about 2% of the water is polluted or unsafe for us to drink, which allows us to use only 1% of the Earths water. These are astonishing facts, because it seems like we always have water whenever we need it, but we are just the lucky ones. People in India and Bolivia don’t always get water when they want to, and when they do, it is usually unsafe water packed with amoeba, e-coli, and many different diseases. A problem that we have regarding this issue is whether the government should allow private companies to take over the water system. Private companies will bring safer and cleaner water to people,

Water is one of the most basic human needs. Many nations and traditions, in fact, consider water a human right. If water rights are handed over to entities whose declared purpose is to maximize profits rather than to serve the public good, hundreds of millions — perhaps billions — of people will be elbowed out of their access to water. Multinational corporations are quick to argue that market forces would bring more efficiency to water systems. But the bottom line is that water resources by their very public nature require public oversight to ensure that people, not profits, come

In this essay, I will address the issues caused by the privatization of the water supply in Bolivia, in accordance with the Washington consensus, defining the relevant terms and addressing whether it could have been prevented. The essay will also concentrate on whether organizations such as the world bank can action loans on a more independent manner than was witnessed there. Also covered will be whether less economically developed countries (LEDCs) are able to meet the demands of the World Bank or instead negotiate a more suitable agreement and this will tie in with the ability to prevent the negative consequences that were witnessed in Bolivia. The essay will also explain what eventually happened in Bolivia and whether it actually

The water crises revolving around privatization of municipalities, and bottled water needs to be addressed in a more comprehensive approach. A more integrated solution for water should account for an adequate supply of clean water and that water can be equitably accessed worldwide. In addition, the impacts of climate on the quality and quantity of fresh water needs to be factored in. There is uncertainty in what this might look like and who would be the best manager of this. As of right now it is almost certain the water policies of today will cause geopolitical conflict in the near future. To clarify, water wars have already begun, but more conflict on a larger scale is likely to happen if policies do not change. Therefore it is urgent that water policies adjust into a more ethical framework. An important question to ponder is, “Will social change concerning water use come through technological innovation or through cultural and value change, or some combination?” This question is imperative in how one should be constructing their viewpoint for creating difference in water policy and where one should go from here.

“The demands of current and projected water management challenges can best be met through a greater reliance on water markets for water management. Specifically, water management must shift toward recognition of transferable rights in water that facilitate voluntary exchanges and the market pricing of water resources” (Adler, 2008).

Water privatization, the sale and transportation of water supplies to private companies, is becoming more commonly used and is affecting several populations in negative ways. Jeneen Interlandi, an author of World Watch Magazine, claims that private companies will not be able to manage water supplies in an efficient manner and should sale and management of the world 's water supplies to state and local governments (Interlandi). I believe that water privatization should indeed be put to an end because it is causing water prices to up and become less affordable, completely cutting off water access to several communities, and brings contamination and diseases to villages and the environment.