Water Crisis Facts
What fraction of people lack access to safe drinking water?
1 in 3
What is a key issue in water inequality?
Privatization
Who controls water when it is treated as a commodity?
Corporations
What happens when water is separated from land?
It becomes a market asset
What major event related to water privatization happened in Bolivia in 2000?
The Cochabamba Water War
By what year is water demand expected to exceed supply by 40%?
2030
How does water privatization harm the poor?
High costs and land grabs
What is a grassroots movement's role in water rights?
Managing water as a public good
What is one consequence of water speculation?
Higher costs for the poor
What company was involved in the water crisis in Cochabamba, Bolivia?
Bechtel Corporation
How many people die annually from water-related diseases?
3.6 million
What is a major cause of groundwater depletion?
Over-extraction
What is one argument for water being a commodity?
Market efficiency
What sector benefits most from water trading?
Agribusiness
How did the people of Bolivia respond to water privatization?
Massive protests that forced the government to reverse privatization.
What demographic is most affected by unsafe water?
Children and women
What are two environmental effects of overuse?
Desertification & dry lakes
What is a major risk of corporate water control?
Monopolization
Which financial entities play a role in water markets?
Wall Street banks
What water crisis affected South Africa’s Cape Town in 2018?
The ‘Day Zero’ water shortage.
What is a major future challenge to water availability?
Climate Change
What is one policy solution to water inequality?
Equitable access laws
What is one example of a country debating water rights
Chile
Name one country with significant water trading.
Australia
How did Cape Town manage to avoid ‘Day Zero’?
Water conservation, desalination, and strict rationing.