When the whole world is focusing on the rising gas prices and the West is competing with Asian markets for energy, the water problem continues to grow, and gets little attention.
Salon.com has an interview with Diane Raines Ward, author of Water Wars. Ward talks about how the situation in countries that have water is worsening with depleting resources of clean water and those that don't have enough are having the worst droughts ever. The problem has already hit various parts of US, and conflicts over water have entered the realms of bizarre, when Clouds have become a matter of contention.
On the other hand, instead of providing sustainable infrastructure of public water supply to meet the growing need of water in developing countries, privatization of water is steadily growing and becoming a huge for-profit interest. Bottled water sales in the US continue to increase despite having an alternative cheaper source of clean drinking supply through public water supplies. The Mexico World Water Forum 2006 raised concerns about how water companies and other organizations having an interest met together to enhance water supply around the world, but were really looking for more opportunities to expand water markets in developing countries. (Source: Political Affairs Magazine) Water privatization can be detrimental to any developing country's economy whose citizens don't have an alternate means to water, and any incentives to provide such by its government might be thwarted by the interests of bottled water companies.
What's in store for water in future? Water wars of course ...
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One thing that must be considered is that in the future there might be some technological advancements enabling affordable extraction of drinking water from sea water, making all such fears invalid. Even in the interview, he does say that and after all necessecity is the mother of invention. Once we have affordable desalination, then govts can set up their plants and make it available to their citizens.
I think the point or rather the fear was that water privatization might erode government's efforts in providing public water supply. Even if we made technological advancements, initially the affordability of this technology might be controlled by private interests. Don't underestimate the power of MNCs in the third world countries to say the least. So arguably, at this point, people have to revolt against private companies to demand their right to water. And their intent will be questioned saying, "Why aren't they lobbying their representatives in the government to protect their interests instead of victimizing Coke?"
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