part two: water privatization
introduction
Only a small proportion of the Earth’s
water circulates as freshwater. Most of
this is stored in glaciers, leaving 1%
available for the survival of all living
beings outside the oceans and seas. The
global distribution of this small amount is
very uneven. Availability depends on access
to river basins and lakes for surface
water, and to aquifers for ground
water.
Currently, human activities have a
negative impact on the availability of
water. The ongoing degradation of
water-producing territories has resulted in
the progressive depletion of water suitable
for consumption. Combined with the growing
demand from increasing global populations,
industry and agriculture, the world’s water
resources are shrinking faster than we can
replenish them.
This is a threat to all people, but it
is also an opportunity for some. With its
increasing scarcity, the value of water as
an economic product has increased. Water is
converted into a commodity to be bought and
sold and subject to control by competitive
forces in the market, as well as
transnational water corporations.
