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WATER AS A RIGHT FOR ALL

On World Water Day, March 22nd, groups around the world called for governments to recognize access to water as a right for all. This call came during WTO talks on service liberalization (GATS), where water is being discussed as a new issue of trade and investment liberalization.

Water is becoming increasingly scarce in many regions of the world, and millions of people do not have access to safe drinking water. These problems will be exacerbated as water supply becomes privatized. The World Bank estimates the global water and wastewater business at between USS$300 and $800 billion annually.

FoE Europe's Alexandra Wandel said: "Equitable and fair access to drinking water is a basic human right. It is inappropriate and unacceptable for social rights and basic needs to be constrained by WTO rules. Thus GATS must not apply to issues critical to human or planetary welfare, such as water."
Also on World Water Day, FoE Costa Rica represented the National Federation of
Environmentalist Groups at a public debate held in the national parliament. The group emphasized the costs of increasing privatization of water and the need to ensure access and control of water for local communities in Costa Rica. Gabriel Rivas-Ducca said: “Water resources are under attack from different sides and forces: environmental pollution and economic power. The uncontrolled expansion of dams, conflicts between local communities and transnational hotel chains in our dry tropical areas, and the threat of oil exploration on our Caribbean Coast all threaten the rights and the environment of Costa Ricans.”

From a FoE Europe Press Release, 22 March 2001.

FoE Colombia has prepared an extensive presentation entitled "Towards a Social Vision of Sustainable Water Management", available in English and Spanish from Adam Rankin, censat@colnodo.apc.org.