Water Education 101

“Is water a commercial good like running shoes or Coca-Cola? Or is water a human right like air”? This is the question proposed by Maude Barlow in “Water on the Table” (airing Wednesday, March 24 at 10pm on TVO).

When the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights was drafted over 50 years ago, water was not included in the list of protected rights. The rationale was simple. Water, like air, was considered so fundamental to life that naming a right to it would have been redundant.

However in more recent years, there has been pressure to privatize water in developing countries. Water Privatization is an issue in constant debate - having both negative and positive side effects. Originally, water privatization provided hope that there could be better distribution, less waste and more realistic pricing, but protesters and debaters everywhere think this will only result in rate increases, decreases in water quality, and loss of accountability.

Maude Barlow is the leader of this movement to end water privatization. Commonly known as the "Water Warrior", she sees water privatization as a loss of one of our basic human rights: “Water must be declared a public trust and a human right that belongs to the people, the ecosystem and the future, and preserved for all time and practice in law. Clean water must be delivered as a public service, not a profitable commodity.” And it is the Third World countries that have suffered the most from water privatization, “12 percent of the world’s population uses 85 percent of its water, and these 12 percent do not live in the Third World.” It is the Third World that struggles the most with severe water shortages. Just take a look at these statistics:

• Roughly 1.1 billion people in developing countries have inadequate access to clean water
• Most of the world's people must walk at least three hours to fetch water
• 1.8 million children die every year as a result of diseases caused by unclean water and poor sanitation. This amounts to around 5000 deaths a day.
• The water and sanitation crisis claims more lives through disease than any war claims through guns.

And as times goes by, these statistics will get worse. With our rapid population growth, the percentage of people without access to clean water is expected to double. There are arguments for both sides, but one thing that can not be argued is that something MUST be done. Either way, water should be safe, affordable, and accessible to everyone – not just those who can afford to pay.

Learn more about the Water Warrior and her plight to end water privatization in the new Canadian documentary, "Water on the Table" airing March 24th at 10pm on TVO's Water Week.

Want to know more? Check out these other great resources:

The Blue Planet Project, a initiative created by Barlow - discusees the issues raised by water privatizations and provides alternatives. There is also several options for individuals to take action.

Food and Water Watch - an extremely informative tracking site and a non-profit organization working with grassroots organizations around the world to create an economically and environmentally viable future. It's mandate states “We have the right to know where our food comes from with accurate labeling and we have the right to clean, affordable, publicly owned water.” Consumer tools and action tools provides readers with useful knowledge and easy ways to get involved.

The Program on Water Issues - a discussion forum that provides readers to learn, express, or even jump in on the collaborative research