The wars of the Twenty-First Century will be fought over water. But let's give peace a chance.
Water - its very definition, who controls it, who profits from its sale and most importantly (to those of us who consider human life above all else), who will die because they can't afford it - will be the most divisive issue of this century. The battle lines appear to have been drawn already. It will be a fight over definitions: is water a right or a commodity?
The gravity of the situation across the world may be laid out tersely as follows:
· Thirty-one countries are facing water stress and scarcity
· A billion people lack access to safe drinking water
· 2.4 billion do not have access to adequate sanitation facilities
· Water-related diseases account for 80% of illnesses and deaths in developing countries
· The World Bank predicts that by 2025, two-thirds of the world's population will suffer from lack of clean and safe drinking water
World over, citizens are coming together to demand that water be treated as a fundamental right. People are also demanding that water continues to be recognised as a public resource, as part of the global commons, not to be commoditised and profited from. This site records the varieties of issues involved.
This page will feature some important water disputes, their outcome and the lessons learnt from the disputes. We solicit contributions to host in this space. Write to rightstn@yahoo.com