Alternative Perspective
Issue 33, May 22, 2003
Compiled by Madhukar Shukla
Alternative Perspective is an attempt to widen our awareness about issues related to business, environment, role and influence of media, geo-politics, culture, etc. It aims to share, on a regular basis, some of those pieces of news and information, which do not find place in the highly monopolised mainstream media. Please feel free to share/ forward/ distribute this newsletter to others who may be interested.
Note: The URLs of sources used in the text are numbered and given at the end of the Newsletter.
In This Issue:
Did you know that only 2.5% of water on earth is freshwater, and that only 1% of that is usable? that preparation of one kg of beef consumes 42,500 ltrs of water? that the minimum recommended requirement of water/person/day is 50 ltrs, but the disparity in availability and consumption around the world ranges from 4-to-500 ltrs/day/person?... read on, since understanding these facts are essential to understand the contents of the following features on the impact of the increasing global scarcity of water[1].
http://www.newint.org/issue354/facts.htm
As water becomes increasingly scarce, its official definition has also changed from being a "resource" to be shared (and conserved) to that of a "commodity" to be traded (and consumed) - or in other words, water has blossomed into a $1 trillion business worldwide[2] - somewhat matching the global market size for fossil fuels - which is up for grab (i.e., privatisation). Monopolised by a handful of water barons[3] (just two companies, Vivendi and Suez, control 70% of the world's privatised water), this is emerging as most lucrative area for business and trade in the 21st century.
http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0234/otis.php
This is natural, since IMF (and World Bank) are champions of the "free"-trade doctrine. Like in other sectors of privatisation, this adherance to (and enforcement of) (un?)free-trade is in spite of the growing evidence, that privatisation of water conflicts with both democratic and sanitary aims of a society[4]. And this is as much true for the developing world[5] as it is for the developed nations[6].
http://www.afrol.com/News2001/afr003_water_private.htm
When the Vice President of World Bank stated that the wars of 21st century will be fought over water, he did not mention that such wars had already started. This story describes how the Tigris-Euphrates river water is both an issue of contention as well as a weapon among Turkey, Syria and Iraq. In fact, one reason for the recent invasion of Iraq[7] was also to secure control over its precious water resources.
http://www.mideastnews.com/Turkey_Syria.htm
As this map clearly shows, the Israel-Palestine issue is more than just about creating the Jewish Homeland in an Arab territory. Large part of the Israel-occupied Palestinian land also holds the underground water resources. Both sides blame each other: the Palestinians claim[8] that by illegally controlling the aquifers, Israel deprives the Arabs from access to the water; on the other hand, according to Israel[9], the Arabs have not kept their part of the deal in managing water resources.
http://www.mideastweb.org/westbankwater.htm
Other Sources Quoted in the Newsletter:
[1]: http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=12546
[2]: http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Water/Water_Privateers_BG.html
[3]: http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/02/02/1044122259510.html
[4]: http://www.nadir.org/nadir/initiativ/agp/campanas/water/txt/2000/03waterprivatization.htm
[5]: http://www.ratical.org/co-globalize/waterGrab.html
[6]: http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2002/45/ma_144_01.html
[7]: http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPPrint/LAC/20030410/RERIC_4/TPBusiness/
[8]: http://www.palestinemonitor.org/factsheet/making_the_blooms_desert.htm
[9]: http://www.palestinefacts.org/pf_1991to_now_water.php
[Your Feedback] [View Guest Book]
To Subscribe, pl send a blank mail to
[email protected]