Reclaiming the Water Commons

Across town from the WTO convention center, Hong Kong, the forum titled ‘Reclaiming the Water Commons’ drew a large and intelligent crowd who readily joined in the discussion. Mediated by Professor Jean Grossholz of Mount Holyoke College (Massachusetts, USA), Jean called the audience to try to learn from each other and to ponder how to, “convince people not to let corporations control one of their basic rights (water)”.

First to speak, Dr. Ursula Oswald, recent recipient of the Mexico Award of Ecology, highlighted that in the past decade water use has doubled compared to population growth (6:3 times), and that future impacts (when combined with global warming, water loss through privatization) include 5 main rivers in Mexico drying out, leading to a loss of corn regions (58-65%) in Mexico. She warned of countries fighting over water in the twenty-first century, and that the privatization of water sources by huge multinational companies, (who divert local water away from local people, through the building of dams for example), are expedited through free trade, globalization.

In particular, Dr. Oswald offered the example of Mexico as a victim of free trade as a result of the NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) with the United States. She commented on “very precise data” as to the ill effects on Mexico’s economy from product “dumping” by the United States (facilitated through NAFTA).

Dale Wen, a former neroscientist, current activist from China, spoke efficiently and passionately about the severe water threats to China, initially speaking about recent toxic water contamination from Russia that resulted in massive pollution: 4 million people were without water for 4 days. Chinese rivers are the site and life source of rural populations, Dale informed the crowd that, “The 7 major river systems in China (60% of water) are rated a grade D which means bad for human contact, not consumption, but contact!” Adding on that some rivers are, “as black as soy sauce”. This destruction of the rivers drives rural villagers out of their homes and into sweatshops as a means of survival.

Maria Zuniga, founder and coordinator of the IPHC (International People’s Health Council) who has lived in Nicaragua for the past 40 years, took an interactive approach to the discussion and asked participates to raise their hand if they have 24 hour access to water, most did. Maria said that Nicaragua on the average has 2 hours a day access to water, although many have none. She urged local communities to work to protect and control their water; to defend themselves against privatization through WTO proposed GATS which results in a loss of control over services and therefore a loss of control over water.

Maude Barlow, Chairperson for Council of Canadians, was optimistic, speaking encouraging words about the solidification of people’s movements around the world (against privatization, multinational corporate globalization) through the internet, technology. She went on to say that people should take initiative because, “we are winning” (the public fight against private companies control of water) and that the “vast majority of the world’s water is still in public hands”.

However, on a pessimistic note, Maude mentioned the tar sands in Alberta, Canada where a US corporation mines for oil and in the process of extracting 1 unit of oil, they destroy 3 units of water. The NAFTA (free trade) agreement, (Chapter 11), protects the right of corporate investment, giving the corporation the right to sue if denied access.

Wenonah Hauter, a guest speaker of the “Water for All Campaign” housed within “Food and Water Watch” (www.foodandwaterwatch.org) out of the United States, added that, “any public service is weakened if people (the community) is not involved”. She noted that the group “Red Vida”, encompassing 60 organizations within 18 countries, meet to trade information and strategies. Their activity will culminate at the 4th World Water Forum in March 2006, Mexico City.

Particularly interesting was Maude’s insight into the fine print that goes unnoticed by trade officials on the extensive trade agreements. For example “Trade in Environmental Services” was added to the Doha Declaration at the 4th WTO ministerial conference in Doha, Qatar after an all-night session and went entirely unnoticed. She quoted an exhausted diplomat after the all-night end to the Doha round, who said, “This is no way to run the world”.

Concluding the panel, Dr. Vandana Shiva answered Professor Grossholtz’s question on how to “recognize and defend our basic freedoms”. She spoke on the women of India who defeated Coca Cola and shut down the plant on their land, which was extracting 1.5-2 mil liters of water per day. She spoke on, “working to strip the World Bank and IMF (International Monetary Fund) of their immunity”-- encouraging the public to protest against World Bank plans to increase dam building (i.e. reroute, diverge water sources from indigeinous people) she called to “free the rivers and reclaim the commons”.

Furthermore, Dr. Vandana Shiva spoke on the need to defeat the “Aid for Trade” package in Hong Kong, which is privatization disguised as relief, initiated by the World Bank and IMF. Dr. Vandana Shiva commented that the package is a way to speed up liberalization through the WTO and loans for the World Bank have always, and will always result in debt for developing countries. The audience was called to be pro-active and, “get corporations out of government”.