Forum Mundial das Águas- Water, A Common Good

Generally spoken, discussions on amount and quality of freshwater referring to the basic human needs and, at the same time, attending the economical production, should necessarily match the debates in all the different areas, in particular concerning social disparities and different production models.

The actual systems for water uses, determined basically by major economical interests, are unsustainable and will continue affecting the basis of environmental support consequently enhancing poverty and the costs of production.

Alternatives to these situations, presented by different governments and multilateral institutions, are the privatization of waters. In its core, water privatization means to put the peoples life down to the interests of international major corporations and leading political groups. Yet, in many places the privatization of water distribution increased the problems. In Atlanta, USA, for instance, according to the New York Times, the privatization model has failed recently. As a consequence, in January the control returned to the municipality. According to neighborhood association in Atlanta, the service provided was poor and often collapsed.

Therefore, a public control system was established

This is perhaps the most recent case, but there are several other experiences in South America like Cochabamba, in Bolivia and in the States of Tucumán and Buenos Ayres, in Argentina.
Also, in other circumstances, the inverse happens: the water management system is public and the civil society oppose to its privatization, like in Uruguay.

Water is a common inheritance of life and humanity. Water is a collective and individual right and cannot be reduced to an economic good. For us, it is necessary to develop a consistent process, leading to profound changes. These changes might also affect the cultural understanding of water use in many parts of the world. However, the basis to guarantee the multiple use water should be a democratic administration, especially when concerning the human needs.

Water and Agriculture

In agriculture, the used model does usually calculate with, on the one hand, the waste of water, the use of agrochemicals and fossil energy, and, on the other hand, the building of huge infrastructure constructions. This model opens up new space for activities, benefiting mainly big construction companies and a special, small group of farmers and landlords. This situation is shared by countries such as Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay.

In the particular case of Brazil, the analyzes of this process reaches a level of perverse logic: approximately 50% of the open Brazilian forest (Cerrado), which was occupied since ancient times, now are abandoned; spaces like these should be used, since it already has basic infrastructures.
Considering the fact that infrastructure constructions as well as development of new agricultural areas are based on the investment of huge amounts of public resources, as financial support, or with the help of loans and subsidiaries, a clear mechanism of transference of recourse to the more powerful sector of society can be identified. However, despite the country has raised its grain production significantly, the number of employment in the agricultural sector has diminished from 7.6 to 6.1millions, between 1990 to 2000.

It is necessary, to replace the actual paradigms in favor of those, whose were already emerging out of our experiences, discussions and battles in the past years. Starting with cooperation, we hope that the existing diversity and solidarity, between the social actors and the generations, make it possible for new models come up and establish, which are adequate to each local and regional reality.
The agricultural sector has historically been a cultural and productive process, which linked human being to nature, meanwhile sustaining the population and maintaining biodiversity in all region of the planet.

In the mentioned process of changing paradigms, the fact of "democratic control and administration" is fundamental to guaranty the sustainable use and access to water. The right of water is essential to assure, that the right of the people of food sovereignty is not transferable.

Freshwater Ecosystem

In most countries, the environmental laws do not clarify themselves in relation to defend water quality and are indifferent to questions about biodiversity in the freshwater ecosystems. As a consequence, the results reached in the water policies are of lower significance. Important questions, such as privatize or not privatize water resources, pay or not pay for water use, or changes in the line and infrastructure of production, are kept without solutions.

The establishment of specific policies for the defense of the aquatic ecosystem and their production, including the rights of the people depending on the resource water directly for their survival, such as fishermen, are of high importance.

The wetlands, due to their important roles and characteristics, need special protection. Therefore, it is imperative to call the attention to the largest wetland of the world: Paraguay/Parana, which actually is under the threat of the building of construction of hydroelectrics and roads, including a waterway construction.

Groundwater

In distinct regions of our planet, the groundwater resources are threatened by contamination and over exploration, especially in respect of their capability of refilling. In China, India, Saudi Arabia and USA, the situation is well known, that in some areas the use of water exceeds the refilling capacity, so that the groundwater level is falling. This effect can destabilize the worlds grain production. In the southern region of South America, the Guarany aquifer is under danger of contamination by agrochemicals, this especially in its refilling region.

Regarding industrial poles, industries and urban services, it is not enough just to apply strategies for contamination control of liquid wastes, there is also the urge to install prevention mechanisms and adopt criterions for elimination and substitution of dangerous substances. Another important initiative is the elaboration of public and compulsory inventories regarding the substances that are being used and disposed by these activities.

Water and mega projects

In many regions of the world, huge projects are planned or under construction. These projects have an great impact, especially in promoting degradation of water and aquatic ecosystem as such. At the same time, they jeopardize production and survival of the affected population. Special attention is needed respectively the policies of the private sections of the International Finance Institutes, concerning financial support of private companies interested in developing mega projects.
Before the approbation of each project or program, a strategic evaluation is necessary, which should be developed with open social participation, mainly with the qualified involvement of the affected communities, considering the whole basin and the potential cumulative and synergetic effect upon other projects. The agenda should also include the compensation of social, ambiental and economic damages of the projects developed.

Waste of Water

It is fundamental to avoid the different manners of waste of water. We consider as unacceptable, that many cities and towns present a waste water of 50% throughout the process of collecting, treating and distribution.

Leading Questions

Finally, taking in consideration all the points raised above, we propose following questions to progress and enrich the debate:

- Preparation of a "World Convention about Water (could also be an agreement or a contract)
- Amplification of investments in sustainable energy alternatives, to avoid construction of dams. It is important the "restructuring" of yet existing dams and to invest in new technology in order to improve the productivity of constructed dams without increasing the flooding area.
- Promotion of an international action against waste of water, in the sector of agriculture and in other areas. That more efficient systems of water distribution and irrigation are considered, as well as the reuse of water.
- Adaptation of conditions of embarkation to the natural conditions of the rivers, avoiding the foreseen structural interventions happened to a number of rivers.
- Promotion of special protection of refilling zones of aquifers of wetlands and lakes.
- Promotion if an open process capacitation of communities and civil society, so that they will be able to fully participate in the territorial management, allowing the use of instruments and facilities like river basin committees and citizen committees to be involved and to control the water production and water use.