NewSecurityBeat

World Water Forum Receives Icy Welcome From Protesters

March 16, 2009 By Geoffrey D. Dabelko

It is somewhat ironic that the 5^th World Water Forum in Istanbul opened with protesters clashing violently with police. Predictions of “water wars” between nation-states typically grab the headlines despite limited-to-no evidence for countries going to war over water.
As Ken Conca has written in an ECSP Navigating Peace brief, this kind of small-scale, social conflict over water—around privatization, access, pricing, and the human right to water—is the new face of water conflict.

Topics: conflict, water
- http://www.blogger.com/profile/13272126581630725383 DGB
  
  Indeed, these small-scale social conflicts over water grab the headlines and detract from the real issue at hand: the provision of water supply and sanitation for the one billion worldwide who presently do not have access to such essential services. Private, private-public partnership, state-owned or cooperatives; ALL have a part to play in breaking the status quo and achieving enduring results.
  
  See the Water Wars and Water Woes article on the vilification of the Cochabamba water privatisation case study and the need to move away from ideology and towards pragmatic solutions.
- http://www.blogger.com/profile/18337694112852162181 Geoff Dabelko
  
  Very good piece on Cochabamba in context David. Thanks for sharing it. Your insights will change how I use it in my talks.