Water

Water can't be compared with other natural resources because it is essential for life, universally used for consumption and at times scarce in quantity and quality. It is become an increasingly strategic resource in Bolivia because the nation and its neighbours are home to some of the largest fresh water reserves in the world.

That is why in Bolivia and throughout the world, communities are refusing for it to be subject to the same rules and laws of the market as other natural resources. Instead they are arguing that it needs to be managed by the community in a way that conserves water.

For private companies, a rational conservation of water goes against their interests to make profits which depend on the maximum possible use of water. For the same reason it is also not in their interest to extend services to impoverished areas.

The experience of Bolivia has shown that privatisation does not work. Under pressure from the World Bank to get debt relief, Bolivia agreed in 1996 to privatise water in Cochabamba and La Paz/El Alto. The results were a rise in rates without improvements in services, a failure to expand the water and sanitation networks, and environmental contamination.

Fundación Solón has worked with social movements to highlight the contradictions of turning water into commodities, to give voice to different communities fighting to protect water, and to help develop alternative proposals for managing water at a local and national level.

We consider that water sources and systems of drinking water and sanitation are goods in the public domain and should be administered by the State in public and social companies, which only charge for maintenance and improvement of services and which marry affordability with social and environmental goods. These companies must be open to social control and accountability.

As a result, we also fight for water, in all its uses, to be excluded from any trade agreement (WTO, FTAA, FTAs, GATS) as well as the policies of multilateral institutions that condition debt, debt relief and aid on the privatisation of water services. We support the development of an International Convention on Water based in the principles of solidarity and reciprocity that can defend people's human right to water and help regulate water resources at a worldwide level. Extending water and sanitation networks should be funded by a reduction in military spending.

To achieve our goals, we help empower citizen and indigenous organisations to fight against privatisation and commodification of water, we work to recover the indigenous community and environmental vision of water management, and we collaborate and help build alliances between movements at national, regional and international levels to work on specific campaigns to protect water as a common good.

The struggle on water in Bolivia has had a significant impact on politics at a national level with Bolivia emerging as one of the world leaders against water privatisation which includes the appointment of the first Water Ministry. However the struggle to achieve clean drinking water for everyone and a community control of water resources is still far from won.