Cleanwaterforum: Clean Water for Life

That Tap Water is Legal but Unhealthy

2009-12-18T22:50:00.002-05:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/17/us/17water.html

Gaps in the Safe Water Drinking Act mean that certain pollutants found in America's tap water have not been officially banned by federal regulators - what can the EPA and other regulators do when technically the water does not violate legal standards?

Dams along the Mekong

2009-12-18T22:37:00.002-05:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/18/world/asia/18mekong.html?scp=1&sq=mekong%20river&st=cse

The New York Times reports on the increasing trend in damming the Mekong River. Although in the US dam decommissioning has recently been a trend (opening up waterways for salmon in places like the Augusta on the Kennebec River in Maine, the Mekong faces more dams with the promise of hydroelectric power and short term flood control, but with the potential for damage to the environment and displacement. We've seen this elsewhere where damming for flood control is counterbalanced by the loss of natural sediment and silt distribution in flood plains making those areas flood less often, but with more devastating results.

"The most controversial aspects of the dams are their effects on migrating fish and on the rice-growing Mekong Delta in Vietnam, where half of that country’s food is grown. The delta depends on mineral-rich silt, which the Chinese dams are partly blocking. Experts say the new dams will block even more sediment and the many types of fish that travel great distances to spawn, damaging what the Mekong River Commission, an advisory body set up in 1995 by the governments of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, estimates is a $2 billion fishing industry.

Of the hundreds of fish species in the river, 87 percent are migratory, according to a 2006 study.

“The fish will have nowhere to go,” said Kaew Suanpad, a 78-year-old farmer and fisherman in the village of Nagrasang, Laos, which sits above the river’s great Khone Falls.

“The dams are a very big issue for the 60 million people in the Mekong basin,” said Milton Osborne, visiting fellow at the Lowy Institute for International Policy in Sydney, Australia, and the author of several books on the Mekong. “People depend in very substantial ways on the bounty of the Mekong.”

Some analysts see the seeds of international conflict in the rush to dam the river. Civic groups in Thailand say they are frustrated that China does not seem to care how its dams affect the lives of people downstream."

McKinsey Report on Water

2009-12-05T12:10:00.003-05:00

McKinsey issues report on water scarcity. The report discusses frameworks to help decision-makers focus on optimal, strategic pricing solutions to realize the actual value of water which could lead to greater conservation. Note that Reuters reported that during the press conference in Washington announcing the release, Michael Mack (CEO of Sygenta) and Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, the chairman of Nestle, who joined in the news conference by phone, both questioned whether the idea of water as a "human right" is useful way to frame the conversation.

http://www.reuters.com/article/gwmCarbonEmissions/idUS277908650320091125

From the executive summary: http://www.mckinsey.com/clientservice/water/charting_our_water_future.aspx

Charting our water future

Economic frameworks to inform decision-making

Growing competition for scarce water resources is a growing business risk, a major economic threat, and a challenge for the sustainability of communities and the ecosystems upon which they rely. It is an issue that has serious implications for the stability of countries in which businesses operate, and for industries whose value chains are exposed to water scarcity.

Charting our water future: Economic frameworks to inform decision-makingshows that while meeting competing demands for water will be a considerable challenge, it is entirely possible to close the growing gap between water supply and demand. This report provides greater clarity on the scale of the water challenge and how it can be met in an affordable and sustainable manner.

The report offers case studies from four countries with drastically different water issues, which will collectively account for 40 percent of the world’s population, 30 percent of global GDP and 42 percent of projected water demand in 2030: China, India, South Africa and Brazil. The report’s methodology identifies supply- and demand-side measures that could constitute a more cost effective approach to closing the water gap and achieve savings in each country.

CS Monitor: Water at heart of Yemen's instability

2009-12-05T11:28:00.002-05:00

At heart of Yemen's conflicts: water crisis

A recent report shows that 70 to 80 percent of rural conflicts are over water shortages in Yemen, already on the brink of becoming a failed state.

http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/1105/p06s13-wome.html

The World Bank considers Yemen "one of the most water-scarce countries in the world" where only 125 cubic meters of water are available yearly per capita compared to the world average of 2,500 cubic meters. Just 46 percent of Yemen's rural population has direct access to an adequate water supply and the number is only slighter better in cities, according to the German Development Service (GDS), which is working with the Yemeni government to improve water management.

NYT: Marin County Struggles Over Public vs. Private (Operational) Control Over Sewage

2009-12-05T11:07:00.002-05:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/04/us/04sfwater.html?_r=2&hpw

As the Novato Sanitary District considers contracting with French water giant Veolia, local opposition has arisen over private operational control over the sewage system. Critics claim that privatization will mean higher rates, proponents say that efficiency will improve.

The Times article suggests that the key factor for communities faced with public-versus-private options is to properly enter into, assess and enforce their interests in contracts : "In 2002, the National Research Council, an arm of the National Academy of Sciences, issued a report noting that any community needed to monitor and enforce contract provisions. “No matter how well a privatization arrangement is crafted,” it said, the public agency’s interests seldom matched those of the contractor."

Look for our forthcoming article in the ABA's Natural Resources and Environment journal on corporate social responsibility and water - one goal we propose is greater transparency in reporting by the private sector operators and water users so that communities will have greater information to make more informed decisions.

Does water cause conflicts or not?

2009-09-07T20:54:00.002-04:00

British author Wendy Barnaby earlier this year wrote a piece in Nature magazine questioning whether the popular premise (discussed many places including here on this blog) that water scarcity will inevitably lead to conflict actually is right.

See: Do Nations go to War Over Water? (subscription)
Nature 458, 282-283 (19 March 2009) | doi:10.1038/458282a; Published online 18 March 2009
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v458/n7236/full/458282a.html

(for a preview, see Slate: http://www.slate.com/id/2215263/ )

We had posted an article last November citing to the International Crisis Group's findings that scarcity may actually lead to increased collaboration among nations that would otherwise compete for shared resources:

International Crisis Group recently released a report on Climate Change and Conflict which read in part:

"Importantly, climate and environmental stress may also play a role in producing collaboration instead of violence. Water is an important example. Historically, water scarcity has often – though certainly not always – worked to favour cooperation between states. Interstate dialogue prompted by diminished water supplies, particularly, can build trust, institutionalise cooperation on a broader range of issues and create common regional identities."
see: http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=4932

Despite Ms. Barnaby's analysis, conventional wisdom still sounds the alarm on "water wars" - see (or hear!) for example, a recent piece by NPR on water shortages in Iraq and potential conflict with neighboring Turkey which controls the headwaters for most of Iraq's river water.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112494850

On the reluctance of states to enshrine right to water

2009-08-17T22:35:00.002-04:00

See Professor Gabriel Eckstein's blog on water issues and his August 3rd posting entitled, "Why do so many governments oppose a human right to water?" The short answer - governments want to avoid liability and responsibilities that come with enforcement of rights. Interestingly, we note that at the same time that many companies are coming out ahead of states and advocating for the right to water. This makes sense as if states have to enforce the right to access water, then they may be forced to turn to the private sector to help them physically realize the goal of providing water to constituents.

http://internationalwaterlaw.org/blog/

2009 Failed States Index and Water

2009-08-17T22:14:00.002-04:00

In a recent issue of Foreign Policy Magazine, the Failed States Index compiled by the Fund for Peace and FP examines how climate change is predicted to increase the probability of conflict especially in already unstable or failing states. Notably, author Stephan Faris argues that water is already undermining stability in Pakistan - water shortages have led to food shortages and the deployment of troops to guard wheat supplies. The Himalayas provide water for much of southeast Asia and as glaciers melt and volume of runoff decreases, tensions with neighboring India are expected to rise as both countries compete with each other over water - Pakistan vociferously opposes damming and fears that India would dam high mountain waters could lead to conflict.

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2009/06/22/failed_states_index_the_last_straw

Nicholas Kristof on "Clean, Sexy Water"

2009-08-17T22:09:00.001-04:00

Times Op-Ed columnist Nicholas Kristof profiles the founder of the non-profit organization "charity: water."

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/12/opinion/12kristof.html?_r=2&em

Declaration on U.S. Policy and the Global Challenge of Water

2009-03-24T21:54:00.004-04:00

On Wednesday, March 18th, the Center for Strategic & International Studies held a release event for a Declaration on U.S. Policy and the Global Challenge of Water drafted by the Center's Global Water Futures Project. The Declaration is co-chaired by Bill Frist, former Senate Majority Leader, and Neville Isdell, Chairman of The Coca-Cola Company and, at the time of its release, had been endorsed by over 35 leaders from government, industry, and civil society.

The Declaration calls on the U.S. Government to engage more proactively in efforts to address global water concerns. It begins with the observation that "[t]he United States now has the opportunity to take global leadership position on a critical resource - water - that will become even more critical in the future. The world over, water is intricately linked to the stability and security of communities and nations, human health, education, economic prosperity, humanitarian relief, and stewardship of the physical environment. Beyond that, water is vital to other key resources essential to the human condition, most notably agriculture and energy."

In calling for increased U.S. engagement on water issues, the Declaration quotes President Obama, who, in his inaugural address, addressed "the people of poor nations" in stating that "we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds." The President also observed that "we can not longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it."

The Declaration makes the following specific recommendations:

The President should spearhead a comprehensive and sustained global campaign to address the global challenge of water.
The President should develop an integrated strategy for national action on the global water campaign.
The President should appoint a special high-level representative to lead implementation of the U.S. global water campaign.
The special representative should be directly reinforced by a core team to help guide implementation of the water campaign, in addition to expanded capacities at the Department of State at the behest of the special representative.
The proposed U.S. campaign should be commensurate with the magnitude of the challenge—which means a significant increase in the amount and duration of resources committed under the campaign.
The U.S. government should attempt to energize and catalyze international efforts.
The U.S. government should reinforce public/private-sector partnerships.

Speaking at the release of the Declaration, former Senator Frist emphasized that it was critical for the United States to develop a national strategy on water issues. Senator Frist focused many of his remarks on the tremendous public health implications of the global water crisis, noting that one child dies every 15 seconds because of a lack of clean drinking water. He observed that, while progress is being made on improving global access to water resources, insufficient progress has been made on improving sanitation facilities.

Mr. Isdell addressed his comments to the global business community. He said that companies, both large and small, must "step up" on water concerns and play a role in formulating effective strategies for ensuring the sustainability of water resources. He called on corporate leaders to address three things: their water footprint, their water handprint, and the public policy blueprint on water issues. To address their footprint, companies must understand their water usage internally, and along their supply chain. Companies should establish clear indicators and goals for water usage. Companies should also strive for water "neutrality" through efforts to improve the efficiency of their water usage, recycle the water that is used and replenish water resources. To address their handprint, companies must seek to play a leadership role in addressing water concerns through partnerships with both government and civil society. Finally, to address the water blueprint, companies should engage in public policy debates and efforts to establish long term strategies for managing global water resources.

More information on the Declaration, including video from the release, is available at
http://www.csis.org/component/option,com_csis_events/task,view/id,1928/

WORLD WATER DAY 2009!

2009-03-22T09:00:00.002-04:00

www.worldwaterday.org

www.unwater.org/worldwaterday

Is access to clean water a basic human right?

2009-03-18T22:41:00.002-04:00

http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0319/p06s01-woeu.html

With the backdrop of the World Water Forum in Istanbul, this piece in the Christian Science Monitor rasies the question we've been dealing with on the cleanwaterblog - is access to clean water a basic human right?

The CSM is reporting that, " A declaration to be signed by the ministers of some 120 countries attending the forum is expected to refer to access to water as a "basic need," rather than a right."

But business seems to be ahead of the state parties with some (like the the AquaFed) espousing that there is a _right_ to water: "There is absolutely no conflict between the right to water and the private sector. Our industry supports the right to water," says Gerard Payen, president of AquaFed, an international federation of some 200 private water operators operating in over 30 countries

World Water Forum under way in Istanbul

2009-03-18T21:51:00.003-04:00

The Fifth World Water Forum is under way in Istanbul, Turkey. The six key themes of this forum are: 1) climate change; 2) Millennium Development Goals; 3) water resource management and protection; 4) financing; 5) knowledge and capacity; and 6) water governance.

www.worldwaterforum5.org

At a recent event on water at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, State Department Special Coordinator for Water Resources Aaron Salzberg stated that the US mission to the World Water forum will focus on among other topics financing - especially encouraging public-private in-country partnerships rather than from development assistance.

Another focus will be managing "hydrologic variability" - i.e. managing water in places where it may downpour for a month and go dry for another eleven; where water supply is uneven and inconsistent.

Driest place on earth - caught in the middle of a free market for water

2009-03-15T11:49:00.002-04:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/15/world/americas/15chile.html?_r=1&emc=eta1

The New York Times recently featured an article about Quillagua, Chile, known in some record books as the driest place on earth, in the Atacama desert. Chile, which has very liberal free market water policies where water rights are considered private property rights that can be bought, traded and sold as any other commodity.

The principle espoused was to ensure efficiency in the use and distribution of water. Water will be allocated, by the free market, for its greatest economic use, and in Chile, water intensive extractive industry like the copper mining are a major economic driving force. We've seen in California, and elesewhere in the US where water is undervalued in the market by a prior appropriation system that encourages use over conservation. In drought-stricken California, water intensive crops such as rice, cotton and alfalfa take up a large portion of irrigated land mass. But farmers may feel compelled to use use extra water to maintain their stake in their historical volume use.

What the Chilean example shows however is lack of environmental regulation involved - the water that does flow to Quillagua is heavily polluted from mining operations upstream.

Reuters on California's Agriculture and Water Woes

2009-03-15T11:36:00.003-04:00

http://www.reuters.com/article/bondsNews/idUSN0627014620090313

California has entered one of the costliest and most severe droughts in memory, with hard-hitting effects on the agriculture sector. Reuters has presented some factoids on framing and water in California below. California's legal water regime, a hybrid of first-in-line (senior rights or prior appropriation) and riparian doctrines. The prior appropriation doctrine requires users to apply their share of water to continuing beneficial use - a severe impediment to conservation - if one uses less water this year, they may lose the difference next.

March 13 (Reuters) - California is the United States' top farming state, but its future is clouded by water shortages, forecast to worsen with climate change.

Here are some facts about California farming and water:

-- California leads all states as top farm producer measured by cash receipts of $36.6 billion in 2007, 13 percent of the U.S. total and nearly twice the output of No. 2 Texas and No. 3 Iowa.

-- The state has 75,000 farms and ranches and is home to nine of the the nation's top 10 producing counties.

-- It supplies over half of U.S. fruits, nuts and vegetables and over 90 percent of U.S. almonds, artichokes, avocados, broccoli and processing tomatoes. Grapes, lettuce and almonds are the biggest crops in cash value.

-- California produces 80 percent of the world almond crop and one-third of the world's canned tomatoes.

-- California is not technically a "breadbasket." It is not a top five U.S. producer of any grain product, but it is, surprisingly, the nation's largest dairy producer.

-- Overseas exports have risen in recent years to 25 percent of total production today from 16 percent 10 years ago. The top three destinations - the European Union, Canada and Japan - accounted for nearly 60 percent of the 48-commodity total.

-- Farming accounts for 2 percent of the state's $1.6 trillion economy, but its demand for equipment, transport, labor and other services make it a key economic sector for the world's eighth-largest economy.

-- The San Joaquin Valley accounts for 60 percent of the state's prime farmland and is the world's most productive agricultural region. It depends mostly on snowpack melt from hundreds of miles away for irrigation.

-- Farming accounts for 80 percent of the state's water usage, according to the Pacific Institute, but the farm industry and government put the number much lower at 40 percent to 60 percent.

-- California is expected to suffer its third straight year of drought in 2009. Economic losses could rise to $3 billion and 95,000 agricultural jobs will be lost. Federal water deliveries will be zero and state water allocations could be 15 percent of the amount requested.

-- Over the course of this century, climate models show California's water supply dropping 24 percent to 30 percent, most in the second half, according to studies by the University of California, Davis.

(Sources: Reuters, U.S. Department of Agriculture, California Department of Food and Agriculture, Public Policy Institute of California, Pacific Institute for Studies on Development, Environment and Security, Los Angeles Times and University of California, Davis)

Coca Cola backs water and sanitation project in Kenya

2009-03-15T11:23:00.002-04:00

http://www.capitalfm.co.ke/business/Local/Coca-Cola-in-water-projects-1775.html

Coca Cola has joined USAID and World Vision in supporting a project to improve access to clean water and sanitation in the Mara River basin in Kenya. Funding is being provided for digging a borehole, masonry tanks, shallow wells and cattle troughs. In addition, Ventilated Improved Pit (VIP) latrines and hand washing facilities will also be installed.

New report calls for improved water reporting by business

2009-03-15T11:09:00.003-04:00

http://www.pacinst.org/press_center/press_releases/water_disclosure_3_11_09.html

A new report by the Pacific Institute (commissioned by the UN-established CEO Water Mandate) calls for improved usage reporting by water-intensive industries such as beverage, chip manufacturing, extractive industry, forestry products and pharmaceuticals.

Among the most significant findings of Water Disclosure 2.0 are:

Corporate reporting on water needs to be expanded to include actions and impacts outside of direct operations, including information on supply chain performance, regional or local water use, and contextual information for better understanding corporate water risks and impacts.
Less than half of the companies assessed described their materiality assessments or their efforts to utilize stakeholder input to inform their Corporate Responsibility reporting, both key measures underpinning robust reports.
Water reporting was not sufficiently comprehensive or comparable, particularly with regard to a number of the “process-oriented” elements addressed in The CEO Water Mandate, including Public Policy, Supply Chain Management, and Collective Action, which were addressed by only a small percentage of companies.

Business, Human Rights and the Right to Water

2009-03-08T21:29:00.007-04:00

A new Institute for Human Rights and Business draft report entitled "Business, Human Rights and the Right to Water: Challenges, Dilemmas and Opportunities" has been issued. That's right - the RIGHT to water.

http://www.institutehrb.org/reports.html

The draft report raises several questions:

1. What is the scope of a company‟s responsibility to respect the human right to water?

2. Does this responsibility extend to providing infrastructure – or water – to communities where it

operates?

3. If a company is a water service provider, does it extend only to its customers?

4. Does business have a role, or should business have a role, in providing water to the most

marginalised communities, who cannot or will not pay on principle?

5. Does the corporate responsibility to respect human rights change when a company operates in a

country where an overwhelmingly large proportion of the population lives below the poverty line?

6. Do the responsibilities of business change if a State is unwilling or unable to provide water?

7. What is the advocacy role of business? Can a company be expected to act as a champion of the

community, and lobby the government, encouraging it to fulfil its duty to protect, regardless of

capacity?

8. What precisely should businesses be reporting in terms of water and human rights?

9. What are the implications of reporting in a closed society, where the right to information is not

respected, and where there is limited, or no, political participation?

10. Is there a role for business in supporting citizens and communities to understand and demand their

right to water be fulfilled (by state - ultimate duty bearer)

11. Given the greater burden on women and girls in accessing water, is there special emphasis that

should be placed on gender issues (particularly for service providers)?

Notably, the draft report notes that some companies have recognized that water is a human right and the report advocates a "rights-based approach" by business to water issues.

Businesses are coming under increased scrutiny as 1) users of water (beverage industry, agriculture, water-intensive industries like chip manufacturers; 2) providers of water (bottled or utilities); and 3) enablers of water (water treatment companies, pipe manufacturers). Privatization of water resources can not be avoided in this discussion.

At a recent event at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) State Department Special Coordinator for Water Resources Dr. Aaron Salzberg noted that in terms of the privatization the US Government position is "agnostic" - in some cases it has worked, in other cases it has not.

2009-02-21T11:27:00.002-05:00

http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2009/090112.htm

The US Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service (ARS) is currently examining the use of remediated water for use in agriculture. Scientists hope to determine whether reclaimed waste water (sewage and runoff which is treated) would be safe to irrigate crops with. This is a potential approach to addressing water scarcity - agricultural uses account for more than 70% of water usage.

World Bank Urges China to Raise Water Prices

2009-02-21T10:56:00.003-05:00

The World Bank has urged China to raise water prices to encourage its citizens to conserve water.

http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Asia/Story/STIStory_325191.html:

'To provide appropriate incentives for the adoption of water saving technologies and behaviours, water prices need to be allowed to rise to reflect its full scarcity value,' the bank said in a report published on Monday.

It said that water shortages, pollution and flooding had for years constrained growth and affected public health and welfare in many parts of China, which it claimed would soon join the group of 'water stressed' nations.

For more see:

http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/EASTASIAPACIFICEXT/EXTEAPREGTOPENVIRONMENT/0,,contentMDK:21015230~pagePK:34004173~piPK:34003707~theSitePK:502886,00.html

House passes legislation on promoting water efficiency

2009-02-12T22:32:00.005-05:00

On 11 February 2009, the House of Representatives passed two bills to encourage water efficiency as the country continues to dry out. H.R. 361, introduced by Rep. Matheson (D-UT) is designed to "increase research, development, education, and technology transfer activities related to water use efficiency and conservation technologies and practices at the Environmental Protection Agency."

The Bill recognizes that betwen 1950 and 2000, the US population grew by 90% and public demand for water increased by 209% and anticipates that 36 states will face local, regional or state-wide water shortages by 2013. The bill calls for the EPA to establish a research and development program to promote water use efficiency and conservation, including

(1) technologies and processes that enable the collection, storage, treatment, and reuse of rainwater, stormwater, and greywater;

(2) water storage and distribution systems;

(3) behavioral, social, and economic barriers to achieving greater water use efficiency; and

(4) use of watershed planning directed toward water quality, conservation, and supply.

http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_bills&docid=f:h631ih.txt.pdf

"H.R. 469, The Produced Water Utilization Act was introduced by Committee Ranking Member Ralph Hall (R-TX). This bill creates a research, development, and demonstration program to promote the beneficial reuse of water produced in connection with oil and gas extraction. In the United States, up to 2.3 billion gallons per day of produced water is generated. Unfortunately, this water is not of sufficient quality to be used. This legislation will provide innovative treatment technologies that will enable the reuse of this water in an environmentally responsible way."

http://ww.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=ONART&PUBLICATION_ID=41&ARTICLE_ID=353189&C=INDUS&dcmp=rss

NYT : A Company Prospers by Saving Poor People’s Lives

2009-02-05T21:03:00.002-05:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/03/health/research/03prof.html?pagewanted=1&em
The New York Times reports on prosperity by companies making goods for the aid industry - one company described makes the "life straw" a 10-inch plastic cylinder that filters out or kills bacteria, parasites and some viruses and can be made for less than $3.

"Early versions used iodine beads and a charcoal filter to lessen the iodine taste. New ones use hollow-fiber technology. To promote the straws, Torben has let television crews film him drinking out of Copenhagen’s canals and even a toilet. “That was awful,” he admitted. “It was a ladies’ toilet, and they put in some odor chemical to make it smell better, and LifeStraw doesn’t take out chemicals. And the canals have salt from the seawater. It can’t filter that, so I drank a lot of salt.” Aid agencies have bought tens of thousands for use after the Myanmar cyclone and earthquakes in Asia. The company now makes a bigger version that filters five gallons an hour with no iodine aftertaste and will last a typical family three years."

Equitable water distribution nightmare in Dar es Salaam

2009-02-03T22:41:00.002-05:00

http://dailynews.habarileo.co.tz/analysis/index.php?id=9420

We recently discussed the ICSID decision concerning the dispute between Tanzania and Biwater. Here now comes a direct account of what it is like to actually lilve in Dar es Salaam and the struggle to obtain water - not due to actual water scarcity, but inadequate water delivery. According to this article, a great majority of residents depend on informal water suppliers. Of the approximately 300 million litres pumped into the urban water system daily, much of it is lost to leakage (from poor infrastructure) or illegal connetions:

"Of the 300 million litres that are pumped as little as 16 per cent is delivered to paying customers, the rest is lost to illegal connections and leakages. Imagine the problem to a city of around four million people. However, there is a lack of adequate water sources and resources to develop water points in the country according to UN Habitat.

Overall metering by the utilities is below 30 per cent, thus giving more customers room to waste or misuse water. Reports by this UN settlement agency show that there are high water losses which have a substantial effect on revenue collection and economies of water supply. The agency says with a proper water-demand management programme, aimed at reducing leakage, wastage and illegal connections, coverage could be increased without large capital investments."

Water infrastructure in US rated "D"eplorable by American Society of Civil Engineers

2009-02-03T20:27:00.003-05:00

The American Society of Civil Engineers gives US infrastructure a "D" rating. Water infrastructure, including dams and drinking water are in serious trouble. See also, Bob Herbert's oped piece in today's New York Times which cites the report card.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/03/opinion/03herbert.html?_r=1

http://www.asce.org/reportcard/2009/grades.cfm

DAMS D

As dams age and downstream development increases, the number of deficient dams has risen to more than 4,000, including 1,819 high hazard potential dams. Over the past six years, for every deficient, high hazard potential dam repaired, nearly two more were declared deficient. There are more than 85,000 dams in the U.S., and the average age is just over 51 years old.

DRINKING WATER D-

America's drinking water systems face an annual shortfall of at least $11 billion to replace aging facilities that are near the end of their useful life and to comply with existing and future federal water regulations. This does not account for growth in the demand for drinking water over the next 20 years. Leaking pipes lose an estimated seven billion gallons of clean drinking water a day.

Water - food or golf?

2009-01-31T14:49:00.002-05:00

Two interesting articles about water stress that underscore the omnipresence of water in aspects of our lives from fundamental to recreational - although I know that golf is very fundamental to many of my friends!

The first, BBC article discusses food production and mentions water stress.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7795652.stm

UK food experts are claling for food audits by water. The UK imports half of its vegetables and many come from water-stressed nations. This will need to change to accomodate an exploding global population and water scarcity.

The second describes the challenges golf courses face, especially in water-stressed areas like the the American southwest. In Las Vegas, its 57 courses use 7.6 percent of water expended. But according to the Aguanomics blog, "the $7 billion golf industry uses one percent of California's water while the $32 billion agricultural industry uses 75 percent of the State's water."

http://www.golfweek.com/protours/other/story/water-worries-special-report-122908

Water districts throughout Nevada and California are paying golf courses as much as $3 per square foot to replace turf acreage with water-efficient landscaping, and have begun imposing financial penalties for any water used over budgeted amounts. The result may be fewer golf courses in the future, and those that are left may look radically different from the ones that exist today.

ICSID Tribunal Does not Award Any Damages Against Private Water Venture, But Finds Tanzania to have Vioalted Bialteral Investment Treaty

2009-01-31T12:25:00.003-05:00

http://www.asil.org/insights081231.cfm

http://www.business-humanrights.org/Categories/Lawlawsuits/Lawsuitsregulatoryaction/LawsuitsSelectedcases/Biwater-Tanzaniaarbitration

In an echo of the Cochabamba water conflict in Bolivia eight years ago, Tanzania was required to take on a private operator to run water and sewage in its capital Dar es Saalam, as a condition for receiving $140 million in World Bank, African Development bank and European Investment Bank loans to repair crumbling infrastructure in the city. A joint venture of UK based Biwater and German-based Gauff was awarded the contract and immediately ran into difficulties - notably in collection of bills, resistance to rate increases and competition from unauthorized water providers.

A dipsute between the consoritum and the Government of Tanzania arose when the operator asked for an increase in tariffs after realizing the difficulty of its tasks and failing to allot sufficient managerial and financial resources. The Tanzanians eventually repudiated the lease contract, and ejected Biwater. Biwater sued for $20 million in lost earnings before the ICSID (International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes). Last summer an ICSID panel found that Tanzania had violated its obligations, it refused to award Biwater any compensation. The reasoning was that becasue Biwater had failed to prove any actual damages, just lost opportunities to make money in the future, it was not entitled to recovery.

Obama Administration on Water

2009-01-27T22:01:00.003-05:00

President Obama in his inaugural address to the nation stated, that the US would "work alongside" the people of poor nations "to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds."

What is in store on the clean water front for the new administration?

New EPA administrator Lisa Jackson has stated as one of her top five priorities at the helm of the Agency: "Protecting America’s water. EPA will intensify our work to restore and protect the quality of the nation’s streams, rivers, lakes, bays, oceans and aquifers. The Agency will make robust use of our authority to restore threatened treasures such as the Great Lakes and the Chesapeake Bay, to address our neglected urban rivers, to strengthen drinking-water safety programs, and to reduce pollution from non-point and industrial dischargers."

Alliance for the Great Lakes: "water conservation can create new jobs"

2009-01-27T21:08:00.004-05:00

http://www.greatlakes.org/Page.aspx?pid=842

The Alliance is calling on Congress to direct $10 billion of emerging federal economic recovery funds to much-needed water conservation efforts.

A new Alliance report, “Water Works: How Water Conservation Can Create Jobs & Leave Our Nation’s Waters Better for Future Generations,” advises that an infusion of $10 billion in congressional economic recovery funds could create some 200,000 jobs.

Because energy consumption plays such a major role in treatment and delivery of potable water, conservation of H20 will lead to savings in energy.

Pacific Research Institute: California’s Water Problems Are Mostly Due to Uneven Distribution, Not Lack of Supply

2009-01-26T22:04:00.002-05:00

A Pacific Research Institute Report, "Go with the Flow" suggests that California's water problems are not due to lack of supply, but rather distribution. PRI calls for the emergence of water markets to better match supply and demand. Author Amy Kaleita observes that about 75 percent of the water supply originates in the northern third of the state, with 80 percent of the demand in the southern two-thirds. To facilitate distribution, California has a long history of large and costly water projects, with more on the horizon, at a time when the state does not abound in money and its credit rating is low. Under current water law doctrine in California, which is essentially a "use-it-or-lose-it" scheme, there are disincentives for conservation.

http://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/go-with-the-flow-why-water-markets-can-solve-californias-water-crisis

Water shortages threaten stability

2009-01-25T18:06:00.002-05:00

A pair of articles from the Times Online highlights the threat of conflict over water. The first discusses UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon telling the inaugural Asia-Pacific Water Summit that, "The consequences for humanity are grave. Water scarcity threatens economic and social gains and is a potent fuel for wars and conflict."

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article2994650.ece

The second article, entitled "Ecologists warn the planet is running short of water," discussed the end of the era of "cheap water." Well, that prediction may be more true for those living in the north where water is currently plentiful and underpriced, but tell that to the inhabitants of water-impoverished nations who are paying up to 20% of their incomes for water and pay exponentially more per gallon than we do in the developed world.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article5562906.ece

Reference is also made to a study by David Zhang, a geographer at the University of Hong Kong, in the US National Academy of Sciences journal that analysed 8,000 wars over 500 years and concluded that water shortage had played a far greater role as a catalyst than previously supposed.

US water market expected to grow after credit crunch

2009-01-25T13:45:00.003-05:00

With recent cutbacks in investment in tech sector, major infrastructure capital improvements, the business of water in the US has declined lately. However, the new adminsitration has already emphasized that they will focus on repairing crumbling infrastructure and investing in green technologies. The damage to the enviroment and rising water scarcity within the US will, unfortunately, also be a strong motivator.

According to WaterMarket USA,

"The biggest area of expenditure will be rehabilitating the sewer network - attracting a total of $46 billion of expenditure between 2009 and 2016. Up-grading wastewater treatment plants is also a priority - attracting $41.1 billion over the same period. The fastest growing market will be seawater desalination, which is currently not much more than a cottage industry in the US, attracting total capital expenditure of around $130 million in 2008. This will grow to over $1 billion by 2015."

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/12/prweb1739634.htm

Other findings from Water Market USA include:

Water tariffs will need to rise steeply: currently US consumers pay between a third and a half the amount that European consumers pay for water, but they use two to three times the amount of water.
The challenge of recruiting skilled staff will drive investment in automation among larger utilities and as well as encourage outsourcing among smaller utilities
The fastest growing water technology markets over the period between 2008 and 2016 will be ultrafiltration and microfiltration membranes (+280%), UV disinfection (+227%), Ozone disinfection systems (+233%) and membrane bioreactors (+180%), and reverse osmosis membrane systems (+165%).
Capital expenditure on water reuse will top $10 billion between 2009 and 2016; whereas seawater desalination will attract investment of $5.5 billion over the same period.

The main beneficiaries of long term growth in the sector will be engineering firms such as Black & Veatch, CH2M Hill, AECOM Technologies (NYSE:ACM), and Jacobs Engineering (JEC); solutions providers such as General Electric (NYSE: GE), Siemens (NYSE:SI), Veolia Environnement (ADRs: NYSE: VE); and equipment suppliers such as ITT (NYSE:ITT), Dow Chemical Company (NYSE: DOW) and Energy Recovery Inc (NASDAQ: ERI). The growth rate of investor owned utilities is expected to be more modest, although they are expected to provide a safe haven for investors during the crunch period.

Christopher Gasson, co-author of Water Market USA commented: "The cost of the cutbacks during 2009 will be borne by the environment. We will see more pollution in rivers and lakes and further degradation of freshwater resources.

"From 2010 onwards the outlook looks much better. With Obama's big infrastructure spend feeding through, and utilities catching up with the projects that they were forced to delay in 2008 and 2009 because of the financial crisis.

South Africa's looming water crisis - threat of violence/

2009-01-25T13:40:00.002-05:00

In a country where access to water is enshrined as a constitutional right, observers are fearing violence could errupt, due to even the perception that water needs aren't being met.

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=vn20081214084955869C275213

By Eleanor Momberg

South Africa's water crisis was "like a ticking time bomb" waiting to explode. "All the signs are there," said Deon Nel, the manager of the World Wide Fund for Nature's Sanlam Living Waters Partnership.

Nel's confirmation of the looming water crisis comes on the heels of the warning by Dr Anthony Turton, the former natural resource and environment unit fellow at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), that the water crisis and the lack of surplus water in South Africa would hamper future economic development.

Turton also stated in a paper - which he was prevented from delivering at a CSIR conference last month - that violence similar to that experienced during the xenophobic attacks in May could be unleashed "in response to perceptions of deteriorating public health" as a result of declining water quality.

UN General Assembly President Calls for International RIGHT TO WATER

2009-01-25T13:33:00.002-05:00

http://www.un.org/ga/president/63/statements/cremarkshumanrights101208.shtml

United Nations General Assembly President, Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann, called on countries to establish the right to water for their people on the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

"We should recognize that the right to water is a human right, and water cannot therefore be treated as a commodity that is bought and sold. The right to water should unite us in building a new model of sustainable human development" stated the GA President in a December address.

Lake Mead unusable by 2021?

2009-01-25T13:23:00.001-05:00

http://www.watertechonline.com/news.asp?N_ID=71072

Scientists agree that water usage of the Colorado River basin in current amounts is unsustainable - but when will the water actually run out?

China's plans on diversion of Tibetan rivers

2009-01-25T13:16:00.003-05:00

More on the reported Chinese plans to divert the waters of the Yalong Tsangpo - Brahmaputra River in the Tibeten plateau and India's possible concerns downstream.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/JL09Ad01.html

India quakes over China's water plan
By Sudha Ramachandran

BANGALORE - Even as India and China are yet to resolve their decades-old territorial dispute, another conflict is looming. China's diversion of the waters of a river originating in Tibet to its water-scarce areas could leave India's northeast parched. This is expected to trigger new tensions in the already difficult relations between the two Asian giants.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is reported during his recentBeijing visit to have raised the issue of international rivers flowing out of Tibet. Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao has said that water scarcity threatened the very "survival of the Chinese nation".
The river in question is the Brahmaputra, which begins in southwestern Tibet where it is known as the Yalong Tsangpo River."

Analysts have drawn attention to incidents in the past to show how vulnerable downstream areas are to what takes place upstream in Tibet. In June 2000, for instance, the breach of a dam in Tibet led to floods and left over 100 people dead or missing inArunachal Pradesh. In August that year, swollen lakes in Tibet caused severe flooding of the River Sutlej in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, sweeping away around 100 bridges and killing scores of people. If floods upstream have a serious impact on downstream areas, the diversion of waters will have “even more devastating consequences”, an India-China watcher in India, Claude Arpi, warned.

Underscoring the implications of the project, Arpi said that issues of concern “not only pertain to the environment but also to national and international security. If Beijing goes ahead with the Tsangpo project it would practically mean a declaration of war against South Asia.”

India-China Water Stress - Potential Conflict

2008-12-06T17:17:00.005-05:00

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Editorial/TOP_ARTICLE__Beware_Of_Water_Wars/articleshow/3747837.cms
This Times of India article describes the potential for conflict between India and China over water.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recently visited China and discussed with his counter-part water that flows out of the Tibetan Himalayas to feed India. China's control over the Tibetan plateau means that it controls the source of most of the river systems that sustain south and southeast Asia. The Indus, Gang-Bramapurta, Yangtze, and Mekong rivers all originate in the Himalayas - and 1.3 billion people live in the drainage basin of the Himalayan rivers.

China and India, the two most populous countries in the world are already water-stressed and China has embarked on massive water diversion projects.

"China is toying with massive inter-basin and inter-river water transfer projects. Its Great South-North Water Transfer Project is an overly ambitious engineering attempt to take water through man-made canals to its semi-arid north. The diversion of waters from the Tibetan plateau in this project's third leg is an idea enthusiastically backed by President Hu Jintao, a hydrologist by training."

007: Art Imitates Life

2008-11-23T19:36:00.002-05:00

In "Quantum of Solace," 2008's contribution to the James Bond franchise, the principal villain, one Dominic Greene, seeks to help a corrupt dictator stage a coup in Bolivia in exchange for what appears to be a worthless piece of scrub desert in a remote corner of the Andean country, devoid of oil or precious minerals.

The movie pans to a scene where Bolivian villagers crowd around a cistern that has run dry, the last few drops falling listlessly from the spigot. For years, Greene's corporation had been secretly shutting off water supplies and storing them under the desert. In fact, Greene's nefarious plan is revealed in a scene when Greene forces the would-be Bolivian dictatorto sign over the rights to take over operations of the water utilities in the country. Stage a coup in exchange for being water commissioner?

Sound familiar?

It should. During the late 1990s, as a condition for continued loans, the World Bank insisted that Bolivia privatize its water services. In 1999, the state-run water utility in Cochabamba, Bolivia's third-largest city was privatized by a consortium led by several international partners including the US-based Bechtel Corporation. Although ambitious in its plan to expand water coverage in the Cochabamba area, the consortium raised rates by over 30% which made payment untenable for many of the poor water consumers in Cochabamba. Residents took to the streets to protest the rate hikes and the threats by the consortium to shut off water to any resident who could not pay. A general strike was called and violent protests errupted with many arrests, several killed and a state of emergency called.

The consortium pulled out of Bolivia after several months of turmoil and subsequently Becthtel took legal action before the World Bank's ICSID against the Government of Bolivia to recover its lost investments.

Israel offers to pass along desalinated water to Jordan

2008-11-18T22:37:00.002-05:00

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1225910086247&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

In an example of how water scarcity can compel cooperation between rival states competing over scarce resources, the Jerusalem Post is reporting that Israel has offered to supply desalinated water from the Mediterranean Sea to Jordan (the world's 10th water-poorest country).

International Crisis Group recently released a report on Climate Change and Conflict which read in part:

"Importantly, climate and environmental stress may also play a role in producing collaboration instead of violence. Water is an important example. Historically, water scarcity has often – though certainly not always – worked to favour cooperation between states. Interstate dialogue prompted by diminished water supplies, particularly, can build trust, institutionalise cooperation on a broader range of issues and create common regional identities."
see: http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=4932

UNESCO publishes map of trans-boundary aquifers

2008-11-12T23:02:00.003-05:00

UNESCO has published a map of trans-boundary aquifers which highlights the potential for international conflict. 273 trans-boundary aquifers have been identified: 68 in the Americas, 38 in Africa, 155 in Europe and 12 in Asia. Currently, international legal regimes such as treaties or regional agreements largely govern surface waters.

Here's an article about the map from New Scientist:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn15030

There's a link to the map on this page.

South Africa braces for water crisis

2008-11-11T12:34:00.002-05:00

http://www.mg.co.za/article/2008-11-06-worlds-water-dries-up

Each American consumes 6 800 litres a day, compared to 2 500 litres in South Africa.

Heavy past investment in water infrastructure, such as dams, had saved South Africa from having to tackle water scarcity. Climate change, however, will prevent dams from filling up.

Other factoids:

l Meat, milk, leather and other livestock products account for 23% of global water use in agriculture. The industry uses up to 1 150 litres of water per person per day.

l Wearing a cotton T-shirt today? It took 2 900 litres to produce it — and that’s before you’ve put it in the washing machine. About 3,7% of the world’s water used for crop cultivation goes on cotton.

l The average person uses 70g of sugar per day, equivalent to 100 litres of water. Cane sugar consumes 3,4% of the water used for crops worldwide.

l It takes 75 litres of water to produce a 250ml glass of beer — most of it used in growing the barley.

Protests over lack of drinking water in India

2008-11-11T12:01:00.001-05:00

http://e-pao.net/GP.asp?src=8..031108.nov08

Protests may escalate over lac of drinking water available in Yumnam Leikai, Imphal, India.

Guardian UK: Is water the new oil?

2008-11-11T11:38:00.002-05:00

A great summary of water scarcity issues including conflict, pricing, trade, to name a few.

Is water the new oil?It's the world's most precious commodity, yet many of us take it for granted. But that's all about to change

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/nov/02/water

By Juliette Jowit

Global population, economic development and a growing appetite for meat, dairy and fish protein have raised human water demand sixfold in 50 years. Meanwhile, supplies have been diminished in several ways: an estimated 845,000 dams block most of the world's rivers, depriving downstream communities of water and sediment, and increasing evaporation; up to half of water is lost in leakage; another 1bn people simply have no proper infrastructure; and the water left is often polluted by chemicals and heavy metals from farms and industry, blamed by the UN for poisoning more than 100m people. And still the rains are getting less reliable in many areas.

Underlying these problems is a paradox. Because water, and the movement of water, is essential for life, and central to many religions, it is traditionally regarded as a 'common' good. But no individuals are responsible for it. From Wadi Esseir to the arid American Midwest, farmers either do not pay for water or pay a fraction of what homeowners pay, so they have less incentive to conserve it and might deprive suppliers of funds to improve infrastructure.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/nov/02/water

Maryland village threatened with loss of its water

2008-11-11T11:24:00.002-05:00

The tiny village of Rosemont, MD, is suffering from a problem that is plaguing many American towns and cities - crumbling and decaying water infrastructure. Its pipes - laid down by the Federal Government more than 70 years ago are dilapidated and need a three million dollar overhaul which the village (pop. 600) cannot afford. The neighboring city of Brunswick which supplies their water will not pay for repairs, nor will the county.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/world/bal-id.scenes02nov02,0,2177684.story?page=2

ADB funds Chinese Efforts to Create Framework for Water Management

2008-11-03T22:57:00.002-05:00

http://finchannel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=22723&Itemid=50

The Asian Development Bank will provide a half million dollar grant to China to help prepare a framework for managing the allocation of water resources. There is great disparity in water allocation in China now - with, for example, massive volumes of water being diverted to quench the Beijing Olympics to the detriment of surrounding provinces.

"China has 20% of the world’s population but just 7% of its fresh water. The north of the country accounts for 45% of total population and 65% of fertile land but only 19% of water resources. On the other hand, the south comprises 55% of total population and 35% of fertile land but 81% of water resources."

Intelligence Chief: Water shortages a source of instability that next president will have to confront

2008-11-03T22:40:00.002-05:00

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/30/AR2008103004172.html

Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell in a speech last week cited competition for freshwater as a source of stability that will confront the next administration:

Meanwhile, population growth will create instability by increasing the strain on natural resources -- not only energy but also fresh water and food supplies, he said. At the same time, large swaths of the planet will struggle to find reliable supplies of fresh water, because of urbanization and climate change. By 2025, 1.4 billion people in 36 countries will face water shortages, McConnell said. The scarcity of basic necessities will "create significant tensions on the globe," he said.

Water Wars Hit Rural Zimbabwe

2008-10-27T23:54:00.002-04:00

http://www.ipsnews.net/africa/nota.asp?idnews=44294

Zimbabwe - hit hard by political conflict, man-made famine, poor government land policies and drought - is suffering from water scarcity and on the cusp of conflict over water.

This piece cites the Zimbabwean government's "failure to provide adequate resources to reduce water scarcity -- including skilled water experts, fuel for field technicians to reach remote areas, drilling machines to make boreholes and water purification chemicals -- have worsened water woes."

Wells have dried up throughout Zimbabwe and there has not been an effort to drill more boreholes.

The Ramakgoebana River which separates Zimbabwe from Botswana has become a source of tension between residents on both banks.

"Residents from the Botswana side of the river have claimed parts of the river as their own, threatening those from the Zimbabwean side with assault if they come to fetch water...out of desperation, villagers have started to bring their livestock to drink from the river too, as there is no alternative water source for animals."

CSIS Report: GLOBAL WATER FUTURES - a roadmap for future US water policy

2008-10-26T23:36:00.002-04:00

http://www.csis.org/component/option,com_csis_pubs/task,view/id,4876/

The Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies has produced a report on the state and future of United States international water policy. The current state of US water policy is one focused largely around water as a humanitarian relief and development issue. USAID has taken a lead in this realm, but the report encourages a re-tooling of government efforts to bring more strategic thinking about water as an economic and security issue.

The report promotes forging a cohesive integrated effort to pull together currently disjointed agencies dealing with water - the State Department's Bureau of Oceans and Intenraitonal Environmental and Scientific Affairs, USAID, EPA, Army Corps of Engineers, Agriculture Department, Interior (reclamation etc.) under a unified water policy committee or secretariat. These traditional water actors would act in concert with partners in defense, national security, health and intelligence. (There are currently 15 agencies involved in US international water projects.)

Water must be integrated into key strategic elements of US foreign policy planning, the report argues, in recognition that the rapidly growing significance of water as a factor in international security and stability and economic opportunity.

One factor that guided the report was Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act, signed into the law on Dec. 1, 2005 which calls for an increase in the percentage of drinking water and sanitiation asssitance directed towards high-priority developing countries and for the State department to develop a strategy to provde affordable and equitable safe drinking water and sanitiation.

See: http://www.wilsoncenter.org/events/docs/WFPA%20-%20LAW.pdf

EU Parliament adopts report on water scarcity

2008-10-12T16:04:00.003-04:00

EU Report calls for revamping water infrastructure and use of improved technology for water savings. Report acknowledges unrestrained urban sprawl and deforestation leading to dangerous water scarcity conditions.

PRESS RELEASE:

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/expert/infopress_page/064-39027-282-10-41-911-20081008IPR39026-08-10-2008-2008-false/default_en.htm

In adopting an own-initiative report on water scarcity and droughts in the European Union, MEPs urge the Commission and Member States to acknowledge that deforestation and unrestrained urban development are contributing to growing water scarcity. The House calls on the Member States and the authorities concerned to pay heed to water-related considerations in their land-use planning. The report was adopted with 594 votes in favour, 45 against and 12 abstentions.

Parliament stresses that any supply of water regardless of the purpose of its consumption must comply with the principle of fair water tarification, thereby encouraging companies especially to use water more efficiently.

The report stresses that the cross-regional and trans-border nature of river basins can have a serious cross-border impact on upstream and downstream regions, and that it is thus indispensable for the Member States, as well as regional and local authorities, to cooperate on the issue of water scarcity and drought ensuring sustainable and fair use of water resources. The House considers that the specificity of the water scarcity and droughts issue requires coordinated action at EU and Member State level as well as at regional and local government level.

Structural funds

The House calls on regional and local authorities to take advantage of the great opportunities offered by the Structural Funds and invest in the improvement or renewal of existing infrastructure and technology (in particular in regions where water resources are wasted due to leakages from water pipes) including, notably, clean technologies that facilitate the efficient use of water and can be linked to integrated water resource management (IRM), in particular to address the challenge of water efficiency (in terms of savings and reutilisation) in the industrial and agricultural sectors as well as on the part of domestic consumers.

The report stresses that planning for the European agricultural model should take account of the most frequent and acute environmental hazards as well as water scarcity and drought and that, in that context, an effective crisis management mechanism should constitute a fundamental element of the CAP.

MEPs take the view that the environmental value of forests and agricultural production must be reassessed in a context of climate change where it is absolutely vital to balance the increase in greenhouse gas emissions with an increase in forest cover, whose contribution as a carbon sink must be taken into account in all policies on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

The European Parliament supports the Commission's commitment to continue to highlight the challenge of water scarcity and drought at international level, in particular through the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

NYT: On Parched Farms, Divining for Water

2008-10-12T15:31:00.002-04:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/09/us/09water.html?scp=1&sq=water%20farm&st=cse

Dowsing water diviners in need in California's drought-ridden Central valley. The State estimates $250 million in drought damage to crops.

Texas Tech researchers receive grant to study societal attitudes towards water scarcity in diminishing Ogallala Aquifier region

2008-10-07T23:38:00.002-04:00

The Ogalla aquifier is an underground water table lying beneath 8 midwest/plains states - spanning from Texas to South Dakota. The aquifier provides much of the irrigation water for plains states farming. The aquifier is being depleted at an alarming rate, exceeding natural recharging (replenishing) of the table.

http://lubbockonline.com/stories/100608/loc_340719522.shtml

Tech researchers receive Ogallala water study grant

Two Texas Tech researchers are part of a team receiving a $747,528 grant from the National Science Foundation to study water scarcity in the Ogallala Aquifer.

Researchers Lucia Barbato, associate director of the Center for Geospatial Technology, and Colleen Barry-Goodman, director of the Earl Survey Research Lab in the Department of Political Science at Texas Tech, will use the three-year grant from the Human and Social Dynamics competition to study changing societal attitudes toward water scarcity as affected by ethanol production and increasing groundwater depletion of the Ogallala Aquifer.

IHT: Water scarcity in Cairo

2008-10-02T23:09:00.001-04:00

Forty percent of Cairo's 17 million inhabitants get drinking water for no more than three hours a day, according to the Egyptian government's National Research Center. At least four large districts receive no water at all from the municipal system, including a swath of Saft al-Laban, home to 100,000 people.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/09/30/africa/letter.php

UN Secretary General on Clean Water and Sanitation

2008-10-02T22:55:00.003-04:00

http://mediaglobal.org/article/2008-09-28/ban-ki-moon-addresses-water-scarcity-and-sanitation

UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon has focused on trying to meet Millennium Development Goals of bringing safe drinking water and sanitation to those who currently lack it. However, the UN-Water Global Annual Assessment of Sanitation and Drinking-Water (GLAAS), published by the WHO in early 2008, found that sanitation trails behind access to safe water everywhere and targeted South Asia and Africa as the most affected regions.

“In sub-Saharan Africa, the situation is alarming. To meet the targets, the region will need to more than double the annual number of additional people served with drinking water, and increase by six-fold the additional number served with basic sanitation,” said Ban Ki Moon.

Tajik leader, speaking at UN General Assembly calls for urgent action on water

2008-10-02T22:27:00.002-04:00

President Emomali Rahmon, addressing the UN General Assembly has urged the world body to convene a special session to review steps taken towards meeting water-related goals (set forth in Millenium Development goals) and identify what steps can be taken to accelerate progress.

Tajikstan has suffered drought, low river levels, and locusts which have resulted in social unrest. Dushanbe will be hosting the World Water Forum in 2010.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=28252&Cr=General%20+%20Assembly&Cr1=Debate

OC students challenged to be creative about water scarcity

2008-09-30T21:39:00.003-04:00

http://www.surfline.com/surf-news/environmental-news/orange-county-department-of-education-launches-water-innovation-now-win-contest_18750/

Water Unifies, the international conference on water scarcity, global changes, and groundwater management resources convened by the University of California, Irvine (UCI) and UNESCO, announces a partnership with the Orange County Department of Education (OCDE) in the Water Innovation Now (WIN) contest which will challenge students from kindergarten through twelfth grade to create presentations via PowerPoint, video, or poster board that demonstrate innovative solutions to the water crisis. Winning entries will be presented by students to international delegates at the conference on December 3, 2008.Water Unifies, the international conference on water scarcity, global changes, and groundwater management resources convened by the University of California, Irvine (UCI) and UNESCO, announces a partnership with the Orange County Department of Education (OCDE) in the Water Innovation Now (WIN) contest which will challenge students from kindergarten through twelfth grade to create presentations via PowerPoint, video, or poster board that demonstrate innovative solutions to the water crisis. Winning entries will be presented by students to international delegates at the conference on December 3, 2008.l be presented by students to international delegates at the conference on December 3, 2008.

Peak Water: Aquifiers and Rivers Running Dry. How Three Regions are Coping

2008-09-30T20:37:00.002-04:00

http://www.wired.com/science/planetearth/magazine/16-05/ff_peakwater?currentPage=all

An in-depth article from Wired Magazine about how three regions of the world struggling with disappearing water are coping with the future.

Profiled: the Intel company's water-intensive chip-manufacturing process at its Chandler Arizona plant - which utilizes 2 million gallons of super-filtered water per day. 1.5 million gallons are pumped through a desalination plant which is relcaimed as drinking water.

Chandler is banking water - pumping it (including Intel's contributions) back into underground aquafiers - storing it for hard times when it's anticipated that the Colorado River will not be able to provide.

London is also profiled - 8 million thirsty mouths are the main users of water rather than industry or agriculture. Smart metering technology is being deployed along with proposing a half-billion dollar desalination plantto drought-proof the city.

In wake of bloody fighting over water, Bolivia looks beyond corporate control of water

2008-09-28T22:54:00.003-04:00

http://www.walrusmagazine.com/articles/2008.10-online-exclusive-daniel-aldana-cohen-bolivia-water-violence

After violence plagued Cochabamba's experience dealing with privatization of the municipal water system in 2000, a new effort has begun to reform water law relying on traditional usos y costumbres (uses and customs) that provide for flexible (albeit perhaps more time-intensive) dispute resolution processes.

ABA Journal: GULP - Litigation Won't End the Battles Over Depleted Water in Several Regions of the US

2008-09-28T22:29:00.002-04:00

http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/gulp/

ABA Journal profiles three hot spots in the US water-access debate -

1) The Colorado Basin (with a good introduction to the Colorado River Compact between California, Nevada, Arizona, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah and New Mexico and the Western US doctrine of prior appropriation ["first in time, first in right"]

2) The Great Lakes (see previous post - Congress has just passed the Great Lakes Compact)

3) Apalachicola Basin - Georgia, Florida and Alabama are fighting it out over Georgia's claims to set aside 20% of the water in Lake Lanier.

Good discussion also of East Coast doctrine of riparian rights and how it has been evolving into "regulated riparianism" where water is seen as a public good that hte state may reuglate.

House Passes Great Lakes Compact

2008-09-28T21:41:00.002-04:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/24/washington/24lakes.html?scp=1&sq=great%20lakes%20compact&st=cse

The U.S. House of Representatives passes the Great Lakes Compact by a vote of 390 - 25. The bill, already passed by the Senate is expected to be signed into law by the President. The Great Lakes Compact, agreed to by the eight US states that border the Great Lakes, would limit the amount and circumstances under which water from the Lakes could be diverted outside of the region. Parallel legislation that would work with the Great Lakes Compact has been enacted in Canada.

Molson Coors signs on to UN committment on water stewardship

2008-09-20T11:18:00.002-04:00

Beer composition is 90% water and companies are looking for ways to reduce water waste - perhaps primarily to reduce the bottom line, but CSR benefits also accrue.

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Molson-Coors-Brewing-Company-NYSE-TAP-900926.html

Pakistan to seek compensation from India over reduced flow in Chenab River

2008-09-20T11:11:00.003-04:00

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/PoliticsNation/Pak_may_move_WB_against_India_over_stopping_Chenab_flow/articleshow/3495496.cms

Claiming that India has violated the Indus Water Treaty by reducing flow in the Chenab River in order to fill one of its reservoirs, Pakistan is demanding compensation and may seek World Bank arbitration to resolve the dispute.

Interview with Irena Salina, director of FLOW: For Love of Water

2008-09-19T10:02:00.002-04:00

Huffington Post interview with Irena Salina.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/asher-goldstein/for-love-of-water----an-i_b_125984.html

FLOW, the movie, website: http://www.flowthefilm.com/

In America's Heartland - a growing list of impaired waters

2008-09-14T22:54:00.002-04:00

Iowa - the Sioux City Journal reports an increasing number of the state's waterways have been categorized as impaired - largely by large scale agricultural use, but also in part due to stricter monitoring.

According to the Journal, "Iowa's rivers, lakes and streams are under increasing pressure from urban development and an agricultural sector driven by high corn and soybean prices to move more Iowa acres out of conservation into production.

Land taken out of conservation can lead to greater soil erosion, meaning soil runs off land along with rainwater into waterways, reducing water quality.

The state's growing urban areas also contribute to the problem, as concrete replaces soil that normally would absorb rainwater."

Read more at: http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/2008/09/14/news/top/5e4a610c44c1cd39862574c2008067e6.txt

European Parliamentarian calls for water to be integrated into all policies

2008-09-14T21:26:00.002-04:00

Austrian center-right MEP Richard Seeber says that:
"[w]ater should be one of the main issues on the political agenda and integrated into all policies. This is the most important idea of the initiative because if you look at the policies, whether at national or regional level - there is a lot of talk about climate change of course - water issues will be the most pressing in the very near future. Everything has to be rethought in terms of the water problem.

Secondly, businesses and citizens have to take into account that we shall face water scarcity in large parts of Europe that will hinder successful economic development."

One problem facing the EU of course is that the Union, like the US, is divided in terms of need, supply, environment - in some parts of the EU - Spain, the Mediterranean, water is scarce and desertification is encroaching, whereas in the British Isles and Scandinavia have ample supplies. Furthermore, like in the US, EU policy on water is largely decentralized with member states deciding aspects like pricing and financing.

http://www.euractiv.com/en/environment/mep-water-integrated-policies/article-175233

Presidential candidates asked about stances on scientific issues: Question 10 - WATER

2008-09-08T21:41:00.005-04:00

http://www.sciencedebate2008.com/www/index.php?id=40

Science Debate 2008 posed the top 14 questions asked by scientists, engineers and other concerned Americans for the two presidential candidates. Senator Obama has already submitted his response with Senator McCain to follow. Below is question 10 - "What policies would you support to meet demand for water resources?"

10. Water. Thirty-nine states expect some level of water shortage over the next decade, and scientific studies suggest that a majority of our water resources are at risk. What policies would you support to meet demand for water resources?

Solutions to this critical problem will require close collaboration between federal, state, and local governments and the people and businesses affected. First, prices and policies must be set in a ways that give everyone a clear incentive to use water efficiently and avoid waste. Regulations affecting water use in appliances and incentives to shift from irrigated lawns to "water smart" landscapes are examples. Second, information, training, and, in some cases, economic assistance should be provided to farms and businesses that will need to shift to more efficient water practices. Many communities are offering kits to help businesses and homeowners audit their water use and find ways to reduce use. These should be evaluated, with the most successful programs expanded to other states and regions. I will establish a national plan to help high-growth regions with the challenges of managing their water supplies.In addition, it is also critical that we undertake a concerted program of research, development, and testing of new technologies that can reduce water use.

Recent hurricane activity highlights risks to populations lacking clean water

2008-09-08T21:41:00.002-04:00

In hurricane-ravaged Haiti, families are washing and bathing in dirty flood water from the storms - with no clean water for cooking. After a damaging hurricane, the problem of inundation by flood water affects those who previously had access to clean water and those who didn't - but in poor regions without the ability to pay for bottled water in an emergency or the ability to buy fuel to boil water, the crisis is exacerbated. Proper infrastructure including piped water and adequate sewage and drainage would do much to abate the problem.

Top five food and beverage companies use 150 BILLION gallons of water each year

2008-09-07T12:36:00.001-04:00

"40% of Fortune 100 companies recognize that the impact of a water shortage on their businesses would be ‘severe’ or ‘catastrophic.’ Some are taking measures to mitigate water intake as water scarcity issues become more important."

Water scarcity responsible for gender inequality in education

2008-09-07T12:18:00.003-04:00

As is well known, young girls are often called upon to fetch water in many countries where piped water is lacking and access to water remote or difficult. All Africa reports that a new sociological study in Uganda has shown that the practice of having girls collect water has impeded that country's efforts to attain gender equality in primary schooling.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200809030345.html

Largest water settlement in US history returns water to Native American tribes

2008-09-04T23:32:00.002-04:00

In the Western United States, water rights have been hotly contested for decades. Native American tribes have demonstrated their priority ahead of most claims as they've been using the water for centuries beforehand -- and after thirty years of litigation, the largest water settlement in Indian country has been reached between the Pima and Maricopa tribes and state and federal entities.

The water that the tribes lived off of for generations was diverted for commercial agriculture in the earlier part of the century. Now it will slowly return and hopefully help local agricultural efforts by tribes in an effort to restore health of members against the onset of problems like diabetes.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/31/us/31diabetes.html?ref=health

More on corruption in the water sector

2008-08-26T23:25:00.002-04:00

National Geographic's article on corruption in the water sector.

"Water Mafias" Put Stranglehold on Public Water Supply

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/08/080821-water-mafias.html

"In Honduras, for example, residents who either cannot afford connections to centralized water systems or live in places where water is not easily accessible pay 40 percent more for informal water supplies, said TI's Donal O'Leary."

See Transparency International's report (link at the right).

Dutch website to come on line to consolidate information on water technology

2008-08-26T23:22:00.001-04:00

The Netherlands wants to make all knowledge related to water technology more accessible to all users.

A Wikipedia-like open source website has been developed for this purpose. The site - www.akvo.org - was launched last week at the World Water Week in Stockholm.

Director Jeroen van der Sommen of the umbrella organisation Netherlands Water Partnership (NWP) says the English-language site Akvopedia - 'akvo' means water in Esperanto - will become a centre of knowledge for financing and communication.

At Akvopedia, scientists, development organisations and private individuals can exchange information. The site will also be a virtual meeting place for donors and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Mr Van der Sommen says,

"You can compare it to a community on the web.

By Willemien Groot*

*RNW translation

26 August 2008

Radio Netherlands

Water Cube? The cost of China's Olympic Water Diversion

2008-08-26T23:11:00.004-04:00

The diversion of water from thirsty Chinese provinces to feed the Beijing's Olympic endeavor has endangered livelihoods of many - here's a look back at the potential damage:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/726681.stm

http://www.uusc.org/blog/entry/1605/water_beijing_and_darfur_political_will_everything

Florida, Alabama and Georgia Battle for Water

2008-08-18T19:57:00.007-04:00

http://www.ajc.com/eveningedge/content/metro/stories/2008/08/17/water_georgia.html
Atlanta Journal Constitution:

Florida, Georgia (the Atlanta metro area) and Alabama are fighting it out for rights to the Chattahoochee River's Lake Lanier reservoir.

Georgia wants the US Army Corps of Engineers to guarantee enough water in the reservoir to supply the Metro Atlanta area for the next 20 years). The case, which will be heard by the Supreme Court of the United States will examine a settlement agreement signed in 2003 between Georgia, local leaders, federal officials and federal hydropower customers that would reserve up to 50% more water in Lanier for Atlanta's supply.

Meanwhile, Florida and Alabama are suing Georgia in a Federal District Court in Florida over whether Atlanta even has the right to extract water from the Lanier reservoir. Florida and Alabama argue that the federal project to dam the Chattachoochee and create Lake Lanier was primarily to control flooding and generate hydroelectric power and not to supply Atlanta with water.

First Water and Business Summit to take place in London

2008-08-18T19:57:00.003-04:00

http://www.ethicalcorp.com/water/

Representatives from major corporations including Nestle, Unilever, PepisCo and Coca Cola will be in attendance, where water experts will interact with business to discuss water scarcity issues and how those issue affect business practices.

Jury awards $11 million verdict in civil rights case

2008-08-12T23:48:00.002-04:00

A federal grand jury in Ohio ordered the City of Zanesville and Muskingum County to pay 67 resident-plaintiffs $11 million for denial of piped water to the mostly black community for nearly 50 years. between 1956 and 2004, residents collected rainwater from their rooftops, or pumped from cisterns in their yards.

A jury found decades of racial discrimination in the distribution of piped water.

The case will be appealed to the 6th Circuit.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/12/us/12ohio.html?_r=2&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1218596483-tWvE/MGdmkpcpeJkar0XsA

Money Week - Can water trading prevent drought?

2008-08-07T22:42:00.002-04:00

Is water trading inevitable, and can water be privatized? Or can water trading and public control over water coexist?

Times of India: India's Water Crisis Can Incite More Conflicts

2008-08-07T20:03:00.001-04:00

"India's water crisis is predominantly a manmade problem. Extremely poor management, unclear laws, government corruption, and industrial and human waste have caused this water supply crunch," the Assocham secretary-general said.

Police in Rajkot, India, deployed to prevent water thefts

2008-08-03T22:45:00.003-04:00

"The villages of Surednranagar district were illegally lifting water from the Maliya canal by setting up pumps, to save their crops. Due to this illegal water lifting, the Naramda authorities were not able to maintain the water level in the canal, which resulted in insufficient and irregular water supply to Rajkot and other cities."

Over 100 police officials were deployed to seize illegal pumps and patrol the canal.

Colorado farmers rely on above-average snow pack for irrigation

2008-08-03T22:40:00.003-04:00

The large snowpack has allowed farmers to irrigate their farmland despite lower-than average precipitation. Note the senior and junior water rights ordering for access.

http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2008/jul/26/dry-hot-summer-could-hurt-boulder-county-farms/

Parents in Indian village threaten to remove students from classes due to lack of water

2008-08-03T22:36:00.002-04:00

Water scarcity, stemming from lowered water table and overall scarcity in village leads to lack of water supply and prompts parents to threaten to pull their children from school.

Global Markets Institute (Goldman Sachs) Conference on Water Scarcity

2008-08-03T21:19:00.003-04:00

Goldman Sachs on Water Scarcity - Irish Times article:

"There is a gathering scientific consensus, the conference concluded, that water is the key conduit through which climate change affects world energy and agricultural markets, reinforcing the structure of rising food prices.

The challenges are most acute in emerging economies where agriculture contributes a large share of national GDP, and average incomes are low."

The article discusses the importance of the Himalayas - as the source of water for all the major river basins in Asia (Ganges, Yellow, Yangtze) and as a sponge which holds rainwater which would otherwise flood through Asia removing critical topsoil.

But as Goldman Sachs is hosting this forum, note the identification of "conflict between private capital and public services" in harnessing water - "Development activists like the Latin American Solidarity Centre here campaign against the inclusion of water in any new free trade agreement between the EU and Latin American states."

midwest farmer perspective on water issues

2008-07-29T23:17:00.002-04:00

http://www.hpj.com/archives/2008/jul08/jul28/ThisGenieisstillinthebottle.cfm (one midwest farmer's view on water - and a recognition that water straddles the line between commodity and sacred resource - what is clear is that we must work towards greater "crop per drop."

Australia considers "scarcity pricing"

2008-07-29T23:12:00.003-04:00

Higher prices during dry times, lower prices during wet......as well as a tiered system with households being charged more for greater usage. Household usage however, is not where most of our water goes - it's mostly destined for agriculture or industry - will pricing reform for large-scale water use drive up food prices?

US Company secures contract to pipe filtered seawater into high Chilean desert for copper/gold mining

2008-07-29T23:07:00.001-04:00

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/itt-chosen-move-filtered-seawater/story.aspx?guid=%7B89F5A557-A4F6-4227-A4F2-2FD9012F426C%7D&dist=hppr

Bill to create new federal research programs to expand water supplies passes committee

2008-07-29T23:02:00.001-04:00

http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,700243583,00.html Deseret News, Utah

While expressing worry that a water crisis could be looming from drought and population growth, a House committee passed Wednesday a bill by Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, to create new federal research programs on how to expand water supplies.

Matheson's bill would create the new program in the Environmental Protection Agency to research such things as how to expand supplies through collection and reuse of rainwater and greywater; research on water storage and distribution systems; and research on social and economic barriers to greater water efficiency.

The bill was passed by the House Science and Technology Committee, and now goes to the full House

CSR and Water - Water in the supply chain

2008-07-27T11:30:00.002-04:00

http://www.climatechangecorp.com/content.asp?ContentID=5487

Businesses realize that there are risks in production surrounding their water use. How are they responding?

Beverage bottlers use 575 BILLION liters of water each year

2008-07-27T11:05:00.002-04:00

According to Fred Dubee, keynote speaker at the recent water summit in Milwaukee, 200 liters of water go into the the raw materials to produce one glass of milk or one slice of bread.

Aguanomics - the water myth stems from irrational pricing that does not reflect scarcity

2008-07-22T22:10:00.006-04:00

Water is underpriced which leads to the perception that there is no shortage and dissuades conservation. In this piece appearing in Forbes, David Zetland argues that "We can solve America's water "shortage" in the same way that we would solve a shortage in any market. Increase prices until the quantity demanded falls to equal supply. This pricing system would ensure that everyone gets a basic allocation of cheap water while forcing guzzlers to pay a high price." http://www.forbes.com/opinions/2008/07/14/california-supply-demand-oped-cx_dz_0715water.html

www.Aguanomics.com

New York Times: Mideast Facing Choice Between Crops and Water

2008-07-22T22:10:00.002-04:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/21/business/worldbusiness/21arabfood.html?_r=2&hp=&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print&oref=slogin

"Egypt is establishing an estimated 200,000 acres of farmland in the desert each year, even as it loses 60,000 acres of its best farmland to urbanization, said Richard Tutwiler, director of the Desert Development Center at the American University in Cairo. “It’s sand,” he said, referring to the reclaimed desert land. “It’s not the world’s most fertile soil.”

...

For more than 5,000 years, farmers have worked the land along the Nile and in the Nile Delta, the lotus-shaped plain north of Cairo where centuries of accumulated silt have produced a deep, rich layer of topsoil. They have endured drought, flood, locust and pestilence.
Now the scourge is development. For farmers like Magdy Abdel-Rahman, the new buildings not only ruin the rural tranquillity of his ancient fields, with the constant hammering and commotion, but they also reduce his yields."

Is it urban development that is the scourge or is it the damming of the Nile and the fact that the natural cyclical flooding of the river which has produeced the "deep rich layer of topsoil" can now only be produced from irrigation. The accumulated silt may help the stability of river banks.

Drought-plagued Iraq - negotiating with neighbors for increased water supply

2008-07-15T23:19:00.003-04:00

Iraq negotiates with Turkey to increase water flow to combat drought conditions.

In their recent joint declaration of July 10, water has a major role. See: http://www.kurdishaspect.com/doc071508MES.html

Encouraging cooperation in the field of water resources and agriculture to assist Iraq in meeting its agricultural needs and water requirements including irrigation by taking into account Turkey’s agricultural needs and water requirements to provide such assistance

Water Water Everywhere, and Little to Drink in Kerela, India

2008-07-13T22:22:00.006-04:00

http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IER20080713015052&Page=R&Title=Kerala&Topic=0
World Bank to finance 'Jalanidhi project' in Kerala, India. The World Bank has had a reputation of financing costly damming projects that have led to decreased water availability for individual users, though such projects do overwhelmingly benefit 1) agro-businesses and industries who are the major users, and 2) construction firms who build the dams and irrigation works.

CSR Wire - Water Scarcity

2008-07-13T22:22:00.003-04:00

http://www.csrwire.com/News/12592.html

U.S. Faces Era Of Water Scarcity: Profligate Use Hurts In Unexpected Places; Quest For New Supplies Nationwide
Circle of Blue reports on emerging water crisis

Water Academy Launched in Abu Dhabi

2008-07-13T22:22:00.001-04:00

The launch of the first Arab Water Academy brings everyone from academics to policy makers to implement new training initiatives for better water management.

Great Lakes States Enter Compact to Prevent Water from Being Diverted

2008-07-08T21:59:00.002-04:00

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92297955

The Great Lakes contain 90% of sufrace freshwater in the US and one fifth of the world's surface freshwater. Great Lakes states have agreed to protect their water from being diverted to drier, thirstier areas - but will the US Congress approve such an endeavor?

A Maine Community Struggles Over Whether to Lease its Water to Poland Spring (Nestle)

2008-07-07T19:22:00.002-04:00

Even communities with an abundance of clean water face difficult questions about how to manage the water and who should have access. A community in Maine struggles with the question of whether to lease access to its water supply to a for-profit company. Citizens have raised enough concern to delay a vote on implementation of a deal between the towns of Wells, Kennebunk and Kennebunkport and Poland Spring. The questions they raise include:
Why should the district sell water for commercial extraction at all?Should the district sell water to Poland Spring, which is owned by a multi-national company, Nestle?
Is this deal privatizing a public source of water?
See full article with the community's Q&A:
www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080703/OPINION/807030356&sfad=1
Also see the following for more background:
www.keepmecurrent.com/Community/story.cfm?storyID=55195

The World's Water Future

2008-07-06T09:15:00.002-04:00

The problems of water management are at the heart of an integrated crisis of global development that includes climate change and food insecurity, says Mike Muller, former Director of South Africa's Department of Water Affairs and Forrestry.

"Intregrated" is the key word for Muller - he notes there is a lack of intergrated goveranance and planning to manage water by governments.

Climate Change and Global Security (Center for American Progress)

2008-07-02T22:33:00.009-04:00

Center for American Progress piece by John Podesta and Peter Ogden on G8 Summit as platform to address climate change impact on global security issues - here's what they say about water:

"We should also begin to plan for the implications of increased water scarcity due to climate change in the Middle East. The water politics of the region are enormously complex and volatile: The Jordan River physically links the water interests of Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, and the Palestinian Authority; the Tigris and Euphrates links Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Iraq. While we are not likely to see “water wars” per se, these countries will have no choice but to pursue more aggressively the kinds of technological and political arrangements that will enable them to survive in this water-stressed region."

GE in water filtration treatment joint venture

2008-07-02T22:33:00.006-04:00

Milwaukee to become hub of water technology.

We should keep track of all water technology business ventures

Western American Governors Confront Water Scarcity

2008-07-02T22:33:00.003-04:00

Wyoming Star-Tribune, By CHRIS MERRILLStar-Tribune environment reporter
"Governors Hear Water Warning"

In a discussion following presentations on the report, Idaho Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter said the challenges of the West’s scarce water supply have been ignored for “far too long.”The region needs, among other things, a better understanding of the total water inventory available, and scientists need to get a better handle on the relationship between streams, runoff and groundwater, Otter said.“We’ve got to know what we have in order to know if we can sustain that growth,” Otter said.Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman said water is “the issue of the decade” in his state, as it, like other states, has faced “historic drought.”Otter agreed with the panelists that the “lowest-hanging fruit” in the water shortage crisis is conservation, but also called for an expanded infrastructure for water development, including increasing the heights of dams wherever possible.

Reuters: Water firms hope profits will flow from Asia

2008-07-02T22:33:00.001-04:00

"There is fantastic growth potential in Asia due to the many issues of water shortages, water scarcity, plus the fact that more and more people are living in bigger cities," said Jean-Michel Herrewyn, chief executive of Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies, a unit of Veolia Environment the world's largest listed water supplier.

Transparency International: Corruption in the Water Sector

2008-06-24T22:19:00.003-04:00

http://www.transparency.org/news_room/in_focus/2008/wwd_redbox_18_march
Transparency International's will be releasing a report on corruption in the water sector.

http://www.transparency.org/news_room/latest_news/press_releases/2008/2008_06_06_gcr2008_ny

Transparency International’s Global Corruption Report 2008: Corruption in the Water Sector will be released on 25 June 2008 at United Nations Headquarters in New York.
Corruption undermines development as it exacerbates the global water crisis that threatens billions of lives and facilitates environmental degradation. It represents a risk for efforts to tackle the food crisis and affects all aspects of the water sector, from water resources management to drinking water services, irrigation and hydropower.
In this timely report, scholars and professionals document the impact of corruption in the sector, with case studies from all around the world offering practical suggestions for reform.
Panel discussion followed by press conference
Wednesday 25 June, 200810.00 - 11.30 am