Should Social Change Concerning Water Use Come Through Technological Innovation?

According to the International Water Management Institute environmental research organisation global water stress is increasing, and a third of all people face some sort of water scarcity. Where demand exceeds supply and no effective management operates, there will be conflicts between the various players involved.

The primarily focus of this paper is on analyzing water management practices, specifically exploring privatization of municipal and bottled water sources using a justice oriented ethical framework to ensure water as a human right. Later on, the paper will investigate case studies on privatizing water from global and national levels. The final section of the paper will cover given the circumstances of water scarcity what should happen, or in reality what will be done to improve water ethics. Before further examining the various case studies one should first understand the current water politics of today.

The goal of this paper is intended to provide the legal, political, social, economic, ecological dimensions of water resource policy

There is a water crisis which faces many parts of the world and it is a threat to survival of human beings since humans are primarily dependent on water. Shortage in drinking water is beginning to show its effects in first world countries, but is a current major problem facing lesser developed countries which have not taken drastic steps to harvest water and purify it to make it safe for human consumption. In developed countries the population growth has strained available water resources and stretched the ability of governments and private firms to provide safe drinking water to the vast majority of the population. Seventy one percent of

Water, like food, is a necessity for human life that is used for many purposes such as agricultural, industrial, and domestic systems. While water is a common element around the world not all of it is clean and able to be consumed or used by humans. With only a percentage of the world’s water being clean and the use of water increasing, the availability of water around the world has become a common issue in the developing and even the developed world. This may be a smaller problem in areas close to clean water sources compared to areas far from a clean water source but, the availability of water is not strictly based on location, it also depends on the specific political and social needs and issues of the area as well. These all become issues that must be accounted for when deciphering whether water is a basic human right or a commodity and what action must be taken to aid the developing water systems in community’s that lack them.

One statement can be seen as the premise for National Geographic’s Water: Global Challenges & Policy of Freshwater Use (2013): “Water is life” (p.8). The book discusses how access to clean freshwater is not only essential to our survival, but shows it is also a contested resource. With much freshwater being unavailable due to location, sustainable water management decisions are an important part of supporting regions across the globe. National Geographic’s book elaborates on multiple freshwater issues and highlights how important water is to our survival. Providing regional, water-related examples of conflict, critical challenges, mitigation efforts, and economic importance it reveals many common themes regarding freshwater and its global importance.

As supported by Christopher D. Stone, it is evident that rivers need special attention from the public(302). The main reason behind this is that, water inhabits many creatures that cannot survive without it. Even human beings rely on rivers for refreshment purpose especially for swimming. The American conservationist supports the water ethics issue in that they view it as an evolutional event meant to change the utilitarian approaches towards water(304). The best thing that the article is focusing is how to satisfy the need of the people rather than concentrate on natural resources with the purpose of maintaining them. Under his claim, measures need to be set up to ensure that clean water is protected from unauthorized access in order to reduce the problem of shortages. Postel advocates for introduction of ethics in use and supply of water. The ethics aims at safeguarding the clean water especially the natural one to ensure that people use it in a positive way. Since water is the stepping stone for each and every activity in any nation, once it becomes insecure, then the other activities are interfered with. (303).Postel tries to convince people to not waste water by saying that water not does just belong to the human. It can help the global markets to change from the utilitarian form of water management to a better holistic approach that will ensure that the relationship that exists between people and

The water crisis in the world is increasing, and it will continue to increase if something is not done. Water makes up approximately seventy-one percent of Earth’s surface. This does not include the water underground. Everyday water is being taken more than it is being put in, and people have a large role in this. Climate change, the number of people in the world, and water wasted is among the uppermost causes of the water crisis. It is simple, if you do not have water, you will eventually die. The water crisis is a health crisis for everyone globally.

In the present world, water has become a highly contested resource. It is no secret that we are consuming much more water than humanity originally intended. Consumerism is such a prevalent factor in today 's society, which is why multi-billion dollar companies thrive at economic development. As a global population we are shackled by society, forced to conform to the materialistic viewpoints that were adapted from prior generations. The trend will inevitably continue if we do not begin to challenge our society, as well as economy. Water is one of the only resources that humanity is

I will argue that water shortages are nothing new, and that throughout the history of our common human civilization various solutions were implemented to overcome water scarcities and enhance water security. However, I will submit that such solutions were always short-lived a temporary relief because the social and cultural consequences of each solution led to a gradual, cumulative increase in the demand for water.

Economic relations and resource management, 2. Ideology and culture including the way people think about the environment and water rights, 3.political agents like the state, transnational actors and organizations involved in water disputes and trade 4.the transnational social movements which endorse and resist water privatization, and 5.the power relations which engender unequal access to safe water (Bywater, 2008).

Water is a human right, not a commodity. It is the essence of life, sustaining every living being on the planet. Without it we would have no plants, no animals, no people. However, while water consumption doubles every twenty years our water sources are being depleted, polluted and exploited by multinational corporations. Water privatization has been promoted by corporations and international lending institutions as the solution to the global water crises but the only one’s who benefit from water privatization are investors and international banks. The essential dilemma of privatization is that the profit interests of private water utilities ultimately jeopardizes the safeguarding of the human right to water. Access to clean, sufficient

Due to influence by personal perspectives, ideologies, values and context, local culture is argued as confusing framework for water governance (Tortajada, 2010). It is different in any regions, because of natural challenges, systems of knowledge and variety of needs. In doing so, it may increase the complexity of water management practices, and should be attached to a specific culture (Jackson, 2006, Pahl-Wostl et al., 2008). Arguably, it is not sufficiently valid and reliable to be used to guide water planning and policy. However, water culture provide reflective information about societal water practice changes that maintain through trial and error over long time (Tàbara and Ilhan, 2008, Pahl-Wostl et al., 2008, Johnston and Donahue, 1998). This is a constant process of adaptation involving the redefinition of attitudes and behaviors(Johnston and Donahue, 1998). The cultural types will differ in their underlying basic values, beliefs and assumption making them a useful tool in understanding the circumstances that affect the policy. Some cultures have flexible water norms to adapt the rapid changes and technology innovation that generates new meaning for the environment (Jackson and Palmer, 2012). Thus, the necessity of capable institution is crucial to put the relevance of water changes and breakdown to the “ground level” (Tàbara and Ilhan, 2008).

This essay will agree with Serageldin’s statement that the 21st century wars will be fought over water resources not oil. First, it will analyse the substantial causes of water scarcity as a result of man-made causes, the impact of climate change and the consequences of water mismanagement, and evaluate international water law. Then it will evaluate triggers to stress disputes into water war. Finally, this essay will offer concluding thoughts and suggestions for further research.

Another major environmental crisis that is going on today is the issue of rights to fresh water. This under-recognized problem in our society today is one that affects people all over the world. In recent years the water industry has grown tremendously with the commonness of buying bottled drinking water. With this has come the large corporations that try to capitalize on the market demands and expand there businesses buy bottling water from rivers and underground pumps all over the world. Most laws are vague on the issues of who the world’s