SOCECOL E8 Lecture Notes - Lecture 17: Water Privatization, World Bank Institute, International Monetary Fund
26 May 2016
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Document Summary
The global water crisis, privatization, and the bolivian water war. The struggle for access to potable water is at the nexus of the larger battle between states, multinational corporations, international financial institutions, and organized groups of citizens in latin america. The common terrain for these actors is the emerging water crisis, a result of the rapidly dwindling supply of available clean water for human consumption. Less than three percent of the world"s water supply is fresh water, and less than one percent is accessible for human consumption. Over 1 billion people lack safe drinking water, and 2. 6 billion people lack basic sanitation (world health organization 2004). Transnational water companies see a financial opportunity in this crisis, as limited supply and growing demand motivate the scramble to control the world"s water systems. Environmentalists see an ecological crisis of grave proportions, which calls for an immediate transformation of the way water is extracted and used.
