In Africa ----------------> In Bolivia ---------------------> In Canada? -----------> | Privatization means:
The three biggest water corporations are: Suez, Vivianda (Veolia) and RWE-Thames, all based in Europe. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, organizations of pooled money from wealthy nations, were set up after WW2 to help Third World nations get out of debt. Now the IMF and World Bank team up with water corporations and bargain financial aid in return for water privatization. When companies privatize a country's water system, employment is cut, water quality decreases and prices soar. THE STORIES In some villages in Africa, water meters are set up and require an electric key to open and receive water; citizens must pay to get this key. As every drop of water falls, the price rises on the water meter. If they implemented this system in North America, most of us would not even afford 10 gallons of water a year. Most people cannot afford using up their entire income on drops of water and are therefore forced to turn to the cholera infested rivers for water miles from their village. Women of the household usually take their keys with them to work so they can make sure to have water where ever they go. One day, while their mother was at work, a shack caught fire with two little girls inside. No one had money to stop the fire so they had no choice but to watch the shack and the two little girls burn. In Ghana Africa, when people open their taps air flows out instead of water. The people of Ghana never know when the water will flow out so they are forced to keep their taps open; but as the taps stay open the meter runs. In 1999, the IMF went into Bolivia and threatened to cut their financial aid if they did not privatize their water. Once water was privatized, water prices were higher than that of food and Bolivians were no longer able to afford water. So, the people started standing outside with buckets to collect rain water until country officials were told to knock down their buckets; apparently, Bechtel had even privatized their rain water. Finally, the people rose up to defend their basic human rights and a revolution erupted. Here they have their citizens dying of thrust and the government sends out armed forces to protect a foreign multinational company’s investment. Many citizens died in the fight for their rights to water, but in the end the Bolivian people kicked Bechtel and the World Bank out of its country. In 2000, Canada along with many other nations "signed agreements in which water is described as a tradable commodity" (Barlow, 2002). How long will it be until millions of Canadas can no longer afford their water? Furthermore, in 2001 President George Bush announced that he views Canada's water as a resource that can be shared with the United States. America's water resources are depleting at an alarming rate. If Canada refuses to share its water when America inevitably comes calling, many fear that Americans will take it as a sign of war. Because of the NAFTA agreements, America can threathen to cut Canada off from other resources if we do not comply to their water demands. |
Suez owns the water of:
Buenos Aires Argentina New York City USA Las Vegas Nevada USA Riverside California USA Houston Texas USA Atlanta Georgia USA | Vivianda owns the water of:
Puerto Rico Santiago Chile Chicago Illinois USA, New Orleans Louisiana USA Grand Canyon Arizona USA Tampa Florida USA | RWE owns the water of:
Jakarta Indonesia Pittsburgh PennsylvaniaUSA Seattle Washington USA Buffalo New York USA |