The battle over water

by Claudia Theophilus     Published 16 Sep 2004     Source : Malaysiakini

Water privatisation is taking on an increasingly serious dimension in the developing world, particularly in the Asian region where major transformations are underway in the organisation and management of water resources.

Described as the oil of the 21st century, water is a major global concern mainly shared by south countries.

Water security issues has dominated many non-government organisation and civil society forums in recent years, mainly to discuss private efforts to reorganise water resources in terms of ownership, management, distribution and access.

Public-public partnership for water management proposed

by Beh Lih Yi     Published 31 Jul 2004    Source : Malaysiakini

The government should consider a public-public partnership (PUPs) approach as an alternative option in managing water resources in the country, said economist Charles Santiago.

He told a forum entitled 'Is Malaysia ready for privatisation of water resources' in Kuala Lumpur today that PUPs is an arrangement that could ensure water management continues to be under state and public control at the same time.

Among others, the approach can also ensure efficiency in the provisioning of water services including decreasing the non-revenue water, providing affordable and accessible water for all, ensure water quality and the accountability of the water corporation to the public.

Economist tells why Puncak shouldnt get water deal

by Yoon Szu-Mae     Published 2 Jul 2004     Source : Malaysiakini

Puncak Niaga's latest appeal to the federal government for RM1.14 billion was a measure to battle rapidly falling ratings and stock prices, and is one good reason why private companies should not be managing our water resources, an economist said today.

"Most of these companies depend on capital gain as opposed to revenue, in order to survive. Which is why private companies cannot be entrusted to run public utilities. They are not beholden to the public but the stock market and its shareholders," said Charles Santiago, director of Monitoring Sustainability of Globalisation.

Santiago said the latest round of public statements from Puncak Niaga - including the recent optimism expressed by its senior officers - strongly suggests that the company is feeling the pinch from the stock market fallout.

Forum: Respect water access as fundamental human right

by Beh Lih Yi     Published 13 Dec 2003    Source : Malaysiakini

The message from the speakers at the "Water, Right to Life" forum in Kuala Lumpur today is clear: "That access to water should not be turned into a market-based commodity but should be assured as a respect to the constitutionally basic right."

The forum, jointly organised by the Bar Council and National Human Rights Society (Hakam) in conjunction with World Human Rights Day (Dec 10), was held in view of the recent water privatisation deals and development projects initiated by the government and which have brought fears about the negative effects on water quality.

Suhakam asked to intervene in water privatisation move

Published 8 Dec 2003   Source : Malaysiakini

Several consumer groups and community-based organisations today submitted a memorandum to the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam), stating concern over plans to privatise the management of water resources and sanitation services.

Led by the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations and ERA Consumer, the group of 17 associations claimed that the government's decision would breach a fundamental human right.

The memorandum was submitted as part of the group's efforts to promote and defend 'Water as a Human Right'.

European Water Corporations and the Privatization of Asian Water Resources

Source : Transnational Institute, 1 Sept 2002

Author : Charles Santiago, Monitoring Sustainability of Globalisation, Malaysia

Introduction

Water Security will be the divisive issue of the 21st Century. Water corporations, together with multilateral agencies, are transforming scarce water resources into a profitable commodity. Given the acute state of the water crisis, there is a fear that if water corporations take control of this essential and scarce resource, more people will go without and there will be a loss of livelihood. It is an irony that water corporation are making huge profits in the context of water scarcity. Companies view scarcity of resources and environmental degradation as an investment and business opportunity. The Asian poor - indigenous communities, farmers, women and the urban poor - face the negative impact of water privatization. Indigenous communities are displaced from their ancestral lands when dams are built; farmers' yields decrease and their livelihood threatened as a result of water corporations' indiscriminate mining of ground water; women have to walk kilometers to get water and return in time to get to work and some continue to depend on contaminated water leading to dysentery and other health problems; rural water wells are unfit for drinking, cooking and bathing as a result of contamination or have dried-up as a result of excessive extraction of water. The poor state of the Asian water supply system is being exploited by water corporations.