UN Human Development Report 2006, Beyond scarcity: Power, poverty, and the global water crisis Response

Reading the UN water report helped me put my excessive water consumption into perspective. Though water scarcity is unheard of in my native New Hampshire, 1.4 billion people live without dependable access to clean water and 1/3 of the global population lacks access to basic sanitation. Lack of access to these basic needs is a violation of human rights, and improving access must become a global priority if we are to improve livelihoods and undo the deep inequalities that divide countries and people.

Though I’m familiar with issues of resource scarcity, I was somewhat surprised to read that the UNDP sees poverty, inequality, and water mismanagement as the causes of water scarcity, rather than a global shortage of water supply. This means that providing clean water and sanitation to the global population is possible. But the report points to a couple key reasons why this water crisis persists.

First, it is a crisis of marginalized populations: water issues are invisible to the international community because of insufficient awareness and the scale of the problem. While inadequate water access is debilitating and often deadly, "unlike wars and natural disasters, the global crisis in water does not make media headlines … Like hunger, deprivation in access to water is a silent crisis experienced by the poor and tolerated by those with the re- sources, the technology and the political power to end it." When one considers the excessive, careless use of water in rich countries, it should seem unsurprising that wealthy nations overlook water poverty.

Secondly, there's inadequate political will to address the crisis. It would cost $10 billion USD a year to meet MDG’s and significantly improve water access and sanitation globally. This price seems like absolutely nothing when you consider that the governments of the world spend that on military expenses every 8 days! This was the most shocking statistic of the report for me, and I think it illustrates the severely distorted priorities of governments. And, while the water and sanitation crisis is most sorely experienced by the poor, and women and children in particular, these groups lack the political clout to set national priorities. A surge of progressive national polices, backed by international support, is essential. I believe that community-government partnerships, in which a government provides funds and conditions for local grassroots community groups to implement locally specific solutions, can be a powerful model for change.

It is clear that women and children suffer disproportionately from water scarcity and inadequate sanitation. Women spend tons of time collecting and transporting water in water-scarce areas. I was floored to read that "40 billion hours a year are spent collecting water in Sub-Saharan Africa - a year's labor for the entire work-force in France." This is time that women could otherwise spend generating an income, or caring for their children. Inadequate sanitation also constrains the opportunities of children, especially girls. Diarrhea kills 1 child every 3 minutes, making it the #2 cause of death in children. Also, the educational opportunities of girls are constrained by lack of water access, as girls are often burdened with fetching water for their families over long distances. Furthermore, due to inadequate hygiene and privacy in school bathrooms, many girls are withdrawn from school once they reach puberty. Thus, water poverty and inadequate sanitation are viciously reinforcing gender inequalities in underprivileged communities.

It strikes me that improving water and sanitation issues would serve to advance all of the Millennium Development Goals, especially reducing child mortality, promoting gender equality, and increasing environmental sustainability.