MuleSkinner Book Recommendation #30

Water Wars: Privatization, Pollution and Profit.

by Vandana Shiva

(South End Press, 2002)

[Recommendation IV / 2011]

There's several reasons to our book recommends selection this time. One from foremost maybe is that our texts relative little have been from aspects presented at this book. Even if we've probably occasionally referred for the emergence of ecological movement on turn of century, there's not been that much about these kind issues of importance concerning the projected future (book from it's main topic discusses the expectable water crises on 21^st century). Probably more lately there's  several books been written from the subject, but this seems referred on  many sources I've come, so it makes the most obvious selection.

Water is of course the source of life to all living creatures, big and small. As a natural following it's a necessity for almost everything in the human life as well. Where there's plenty of water one not very often happens think about water issues. Conversely, the problems usually become an area of public concern when that natural water balance appears been lost , or it is significantly threatened(usually no sooner). However, when the water runs out there's no alternative (as also said on the book). The alarming problems resulted from attempts for privatization of water markets and water sources on the developing countries seem been some of the main questions discussed in the book.

(Probably), we're not very much followed these topics discussed (ao, the multi-corporate efforts to dominate the bottled waters and drinks market, etc). Several issues presented also contain such as the Climate Change, the waters pollution, problems of human created artificial irrigation systems (particularly on naturally water scarce-areas), communal water rights erosion (within the trade liberalization of the 1990s, along other aspects), the large amounts of water the modern human practices and production typically consume – and several related topics from water and it's typical human uses. While the book may now be somewhat aged, about decades old, most of the information is still worth familiarizing with. Also, because it seems provide a lot background information for present state of things. (Also on it is made clear how many-sided resource water actually is and how absurd that is to be considered as some sort of product, or 'owned property'.

Shiva also points out in the book that indigenous use of water on many naturally water-scarce areas is traditionally been based on methods often created within time-gaps of several centuries or even from millenias time to the past. Anything what more modern, technological methods and mechanized projects (on agriculture's, largely) has brought seems been the short-sighted, and often careless, uses of water (Which might have also often lead for fx water-logging on certain areas, as well the salinization and desertification problems). Most examples presented are from India, where water scarcity often turns out a more urgent issue than on some other region. (But there's examples from elsewhere too, and the reader as well learns about (so called) Green revolution at latter part of the 1900s... and of various other things, from past and present decades.) 
 

It's also not surprising find it said that often large water projects benefit only a few, but deprive the weak (Holds often true of any large-scale energy-projects, as well). More typically the rule than exception, large dams tend usually have brought some ecological problem and harms as their side-effect. Also, as the outcome hasn't always redeem the 'high hopes' placed for them (even when thinking the usability from generating projected energies for the human use), dams are typically as much often known from the great opposition against their planning and construction. Sometimes that has been enough to prevent building or at least excluded any further projects. Yet on many cases there's still a lot dams been built on river streams and naturally they affect the living conditions of many people, as well as have brought the ecological burden on rivers. (Book also devotes a whole chapter for the role of WTO and the World Bank at many past projects on developing countries, of which the reader is only advised to have a more particular view from the book itself, and from elsewhere).

In the (developed) North larger parts from water routes (rivers) were built for electricity generating already until about 1960s and the more recent times same seems have happened for many water ways on the South part. Typical issues, joined for dams construction are known from fx the evictions of the people (removals from the way of built artificial water pools, ao), the fisheries loss, spoiled soil/cultivation land, etc. In the tropical equator there also lives significantly more people on many regions/areas closer the rivers (than on comparable areas at North), so the consequences also often affect also people by larger scale. ...There's of course plenty other aspects that could be presented from this, and any particular questions brought by dam building by somewhat vary between different places/or on any singular example. Also prior the 2000s there seems been, fx, the Commission on Dams to provide forum for discussion of the many disputes and problems been arised from their construction. But as we can't on this represent any newer information from, the further chapters of this one also needs to read from elsewhere.

For the Northern 'developers' books findings may have been somewhat difficult receive, for Shiva's view-point originate so clearly from the issues of developing countries.(...Perhaps  unpleasant for the ecologists as well...and for the modern consumers too, since in the globalized world any aspect also becomes aspect of some global concern; In other words one can't avoid from being, at least occasionally, reminded from their existence) She also often points out many questions where there's formerly been traditional manners and methods - fx some carefully handled systems built to make water last better and not to overuse the resource. 
Occasionally addressed are also topics that seem have earned a description from 'neo-colonization efforts', usually noted from the intended purposes of to control resources (of water) on developing countries. (Related for that, she also has another probably rather popularly read book (actually is author for several books); Namely Protect or Plunder? Understanding Intellectual Property Rights (2001), which concerns patents as a threat for the ecology of developing countries. Makes a comparable introduction from that area of knowledge, ie the book is from so called biopiracy-issues.)

In brief, in spite of that this book (Water wars) being just about one and half hundred pages it has much said from the subject. Nowadays, years later some of the addressed aspects (perhaps) are somewhat different, or some new issues maybe have become more of a concern. However, in the books introduction is remarked that the water issues are only expected to become more urgent at the forthcoming future. As well the reader also probably notices that at present world the ecological questions often appear inseparable from questions of fairness and equality. (G.U.J.)

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