Global Water Crisis: The Responsibility Paradox

Shared from a Medium article by Anya Baylen, because it is important.

The “global water crisis” is a very important topic today. Unfortunately, the response to the problem remains inadequate.

Hollywood stars invite us to give generously as individual consumers. Bottled water and beer multinationals show off with their advertising campaigns based on their sustainability policies.

Meanwhile, charities acknowledge that they need “real money” to earn from what they do.

There is also the World Water Council, an organisation that has the support of UN agencies, but in reality, is a multi-stakeholder body headed by multinational water corporations. It brings corporations and governments together in order to promote private interests in the management of freshwater supplies. WWC organizes the World Water Forum, which is being held in Bali (from the 18th to 25th May 2024).

Countries pay 30 million euros for hosting the event. And if you want to take part as an individual, it will cost you around 430$.

Good and fair management of water is one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that form the core of the UN 2030 Agenda, which was adopted by world leaders in 2015.

We are, though, very far from achieving these goals.

Another problem is that water is being privatised. In the 1990s around 50 million people worldwide got their water from private companies.

Today the number is between 800 and 900 million people.

Strangely, or maybe not, Africa recorded the biggest surge in water privatisation. Huge companies such as the French Suez-Veolia have contracted the water supply in some of the main African cities.

Privatisation of water can include different situations, such as partial ownership over resources, control over assets, transport, marketing, billing, collection, maintenance, technology, and other tasks.

It is very easy to find some kind of a “Chinese box” structure, where the private companies that manage water supplies are so diversified and entangled that is difficult to make head or tail of who is really responsible for managing a safe and efficient water delivery procedure.

What we get is a market-driven arrangement, where the system, which is largely responsible for the crisis at the same time aims to make money by tackling it. The crisis is one of the system’s key elements, and when it becomes structural, what is the answer?

It is how capitalism works: the management of the crisis becomes itself a source of profit.

Water, however, is not just a commodity like any other and shouldn’t be treated according to the mere rules of the market.

If it stays in private hands, with profit as the final goal, the “water crisis” will always remain part of our lives.

If you are lucky, you get the water, the (high) bills, and the guilt.

If not, you get neither.

So, what can we do?

Of course, exaggerated and inconsiderate water use has never been an option, regardless of its global scale impact. It is simply a matter of personal ethics, like not wasting food, for example.

Also, being aware of all the parts of the water supply chain, from its start to our household tap water, can allow us to address different issues, such as high costs or water quality.

Last but not least, if your tap water is safe to drink, consider purchasing less bottled water. By doing so, we can avoid feeding a market that is mostly there to feed itself.

References:

Benson, K., & Karunananthan, M. (2022). Counter Streams: Organizing the Dakar 2022 Alternative World Water Forum. Transition, 133, 147–173. https://www.jstor.org/stable/48767703

Mohai, P. (2018). ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND THE FLINT WATER CRISIS. Michigan Sociological Review, 32, 1–41. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26528595

Gawd, E., & Bernsen, K. (2011). Globalization of Water: The Case for Global Water Governance? Nature and Culture, 6(3), 205–217. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43303905

Lalonde, B. (2019). The Water Challenge. Horizons: Journal of International Relations and Sustainable Development, 13, 184–193. https://www.jstor.org/stable/48573778

Originally published at https://medium.com on May 23, 2024.