Water Crisis in Private Water

Water Crisis

In "Private Water Saves Lives," Frederik Segerfeldt claims that governments are ineffective managers of water and that the private sector would do a better job of distributing water equitably to reduce the water crisis. Segerfeldt states, "ninety-seven percent of all water distribution in poor countries is managed by the public sector, which is largely responsible for more than a billion people being without water," (294). Because "bad policies are the main problem with water," the key is how to make privatized water "work better, instead of rejecting the idea altogether," (294-295). Maude Barlow strongly disagrees. In "Where Has All the Water Gone?" Barlow argues that privatization "deepens the crisis," (297). The main culprits in the water crisis include "pollution, climate change, and population growth," (Barlow 298). Barlow agrees with Segerfeldt that governments are failing the people, but argues in favor of "cooperation, sustainability, and public stewardship" instead of privatization. Both Segerfeldt and Barlow raise pertinent points about the water crisis but Barlow's position makes more sense. Privatization promotes globalization, materialism, pollution, and unbridled capitalism: which are all the culprits of the water crisis.

In "Private Water Saves Lives," Segerfeldt mainly picks apart the anti-privatization argument. One of the concerns of the anti-privatization movement is that the price of water would go up if corporations were in control of the resources. Segerfeldt admits that "in some cases, it is true that prices have gone up after privatization," (295). However, Segerfeldt claims that privatized water does not necessarily increase the price of water or reduce access to water in poor places. Segerfeldt claims that the price of water for those connected to the mains "should not be the immediate concern" for policy makers (295). The focus should be on the most effective way to bring water to the poorest people living in rural communities without access to running water. Segerfeldt implies that privatization is the key because governments have failed to bring drinking water to rural areas in poor countries. Moreover, Segerfeldt claims that governments usually do not distribute water resources democratically. Segerfeldt uses the food analogy to illustrate that governments cannot be trusted to distribute any life essentials. Privatization bypasses the governments but the problem with privatization is that it has not worked well yet because of a lack of supervision or regulatory bodies.

In "Where Has All the Water Gone?" Maude Barlow emphasizes the hydrologic cycle to show that pollution is one of the main causes of the water crisis. As more and more groundwater is polluted, less and less clean water is available for human consumption. Unbridled development leads to water shortages and water pollution. The privatization of water only plays into the hands of profiteers. In addition to pollution, overpopulation is part of the problem as too many people are putting undue demands on the earth resources. The resources in the Earth cannot sustain the amount of people on the globe, especially as India and China become wealthier and strive for an American way of life. Related to pollution is the diversion and depletion of water for industrial uses and profiteering. Thus, privatization is part of the problem, and not the solution to the water crisis. Barlow stresses that even industrialized nations like the United States are facing water crises. The parts of the world affected the most by the water crisis are called "hot stains," (298). As problematic as all the hot stains are, people are actually dying from dirty water in the world's poorest nations. The solution to the water crisis is to reject the principles of globalization in favor of a new commitment to cooperation.

Although they disagree on most points, Segerfeldt and Barlow do agree that water is in a state of crisis and that something must be done soon. Both Segerfeldt and Barlow also emphasize that the crisis especially affects the developing world. Poor people are dying from dirty water, both Barlow and Segerfeldt claim. Barlow cites the World Health Organization, claiming that "every eight seconds, a child dies from drinking dirty water," (299). Segerfeldt agrees that "the shortage of water helps to perpetuate poverty, disease, and early death," (294). Finally, Barlow and Segerfeldt both acknowledge that technically the earth does not "run out" of water (Barlow 299). Segerfeldt similarly claims that there is "no shortage" of water, "at least not globally," (294).

Segerfeldt and Barlow disagree on what causes the water crisis and most importantly, on what to do about it. Although Barlow and Segerfeldt both agree that water is a potentially renewable resource, only Barlow notes that "there is a finite amount of available fresh water on the planet," (299). The earth cannot run out of water, but the earth also cannot create new water. The problem with the finite amount of water is that it is being polluted and diverted for capitalist and industrialist endeavors worldwide. Segerfeldt does not mention the problem that pollution poses to the water crisis. Instead, Segerfeldt focuses on bad public policy and poor water resource management by governments as the main culprits. Segerfeldt's solution to the water crisis is to encourage effective privatization efforts worldwide. Barlow's suggestion is to reject privatization, unlimited economic growth, and globalization in favor of cooperative community-based stewardship of water resources (300).