Summary
Contents
As per the recent UN data 1.1 billion people worldwide do not have adequate access to a decent water supply. A wide range of people and organisations, all united by a belief in market-based economics or a financial stake in the water business (or both) believe that the answer lies in treating water primarily as a commodity to be bought and sold, to make sure all water services can cover their costs and let private companies run the water supply for profit. In Bangalore these arguments have been put forward under the banner of ‘reform’ and has resulted in people being ignored by companies and often their access to water has become worse and unaffordably expensive.
Resisting Reform?: Water Profits and Democracy, looks at the attempts that have been made to ‘reform’ Bangalore's water supply and situates them in their global and national context and that of the city's broader development. It looks at how the ‘reforms’ have entered government policy, who has put them there, and how they have been opposed, principally by the poor in the city. The book argues that involving private companies is no answer to run an equitable water supply. Treating water as a commodity is a dangerous principle for any water service, public or private.
Privatisation: The Global Hydra
Privatisation: The Global Hydra
Today there are 1.1 billion people, or 18 per cent of the world's population, who lack access to safe drinking water.… By 2025, it is estimated that about two-thirds of the world's population—about 5.5 billion people—will live in areas facing moderate to severe water stress.
—United Nations (2005)
Like any other scarcity, the water shortage creates investment opportunities, and interest in water is at an all-time high.… Recent years have seen an upswing in the demand for investments that seek to profit from the need for fresh, clean water.… There are currently numerous ways to add water exposure to your portfolio—most simply require a bit of research.
—McWhinney (2006)
If you want to get investment fund managers excited, mention water. Shares in ...