SOLUTIONS

Water privatization refers to the process of transferring public water services to private ownership
and operation. After the private sector began to participate in water governance, water
privatization happened. Many claim that classifying water as an economic good will drive
consumers to utilize it responsibly. In relation to demand and available freshwater volume, the
amount of high-quality water for drinking, cooking, and cleaning is restricted. Privatizing water
does not address the issue of the state's inability to produce and distribute water through its
institutions, because the private sector will meet consumer requirements better than
governments. Proponents of such privatization argue that the goal is long-term sustainable
management of freshwaters through the "selling of exploitation rights to companies."

The Legislative Assembly of El Salvador, with a large pro-government majority, approved on

Tuesday a water law that recognizes access to water as a human right, but which has been
criticized by environmental organizations.

The new legislation establishes that "El Salvador recognizes the human right to water" and "to
sanitation" as "components of the right to an adequate standard of living."

The General Law on Water Resources also establishes that "water may not be privatized under any
conditions" and creates the Salvadoran Water Authority (ASA).

The National Alliance Against the Privatization of Water, which brings together social
organizations, pointed out on social networks that this law does not include "what is proposed by
environmental and social organizations" and that it does not contain all the "non-negotiable
points." These points are that water is recognized as a public good, that its access is established as
a human right, that its management includes the participation of the population, sustainable
management, and a fair and equitable economic regime.

Previously, the Water Forum stated that the Nayib Bukele government's bill "normalizes water
injustice." He pointed out in October that the law maintains "the entrenched mechanisms in the
State that generate water injustice, favor the theft and dispossession of water" by large
companies.

According to studies by the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources (MARN), it is
expected that by 2022, 80% of the country's territory will register levels of "water stress" due to
water scarcity. EFE

Educate to change consumption and lifestyles

In the end, changing the face of this crisis involves education to motivate new behaviors. Coping
with the coming era of water scarcity will require major overhaul of all forms of consumption,
from individual use to the supply chains of major corporations, like GE. Some regions led by India,
Australia, and the Southwest U.S., are already facing the freshwater crisis. The most critical task is
making sure the problem is much better understood worldwide.

Invent new water conservation technologies

In areas where aquifers are drying up and rainwater is increasingly unpredictable, innovation is
needed. But as we attempt to cope with freshwater scarcity and develop conservation
technologies, energy consumption is an important consideration.

Recycle wastewater

In March, World Water Day panelists urged a new mindset for wastewater treatment. Some
countries, like Singapore, are trying to recycle to cut water imports and become more self-
sufficient. The rich East Asian republic is a leader in developing advanced technology that cleanses
wastewater for other uses, including drinking.

Improve irrigation and agricultural practices

Some 70 percent of the world’s freshwater is used for agriculture. Improving irrigation can help
close supply and demand gaps. In certain cases, profligate irrigation practices meant for an earlier
era has weakened the ability of farmers to provide food and fiber to a growing world. Examples
include the Murray-Darling basin in Australia, Central Asia’s Aral Sea, and the American Southwest.
Although new technology has become an appealing solution, global water experts like Peter Gleick
note that in some cases, such as the agricultural systems in California, success stories can happen
by improving what’s already in place.

Appropriately price water

Water pricing and rights go hand in hand, with consumers questioning the benefit of higher prices.
According to experts from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD),
an international economic forum of 31 of the world’s richest countries, raising prices will help
lower waste and pollution. But Circle of Blue’s May investigation into water pricing systems in
major U.S. cities, show current utility pricing systems are obsolete, send the wrong signals, and
need reform.

Develop energy efficient desalination plants

To date, desalination has been an energy-intensive solution to water scarcity. Typically, the Middle
East has capitalized on its large energy reserves to build desalination plants. But Saudi Arabia could
be fostering a new kind of desalination with its recent announcement to use solar-powered
plants.Britain has taken a different approach with small-scale facilities for agriculture. But these
innovations bring to light another needed resource—the capital for technological
experimentation.

Improve water catchment and harvesting

Water catchment systems are essential for areas with no other reliable water sources. Pakistan
and India—two countries that contend with some of the worst effects of climate change—are
overhauling rainwater harvesting systems. These efforts provide independent control of water
resources.

Look to community-based governance and partnerships

Community organizations elevate the experiences of those whose voices merit more influence. In
April, for instance, indigenous groups met at the alternative climate change conference in Bolivia,
a gathering meant to foster international partnerships among underrepresented groups.
Develop and enact better policies and regulations

As water scarcity complicates food security and pollution, governments need to redefine their
role. The U.S. government is considering expanding the Clean Water Act to ensure more
protections. In Russia, meanwhile, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has approved waste discharges in
Lake Baikal, one of the world’s largest bodies of freshwater. Regardless of what path elected
leaders take–the Circle of Blue/GlobeScan WaterViews survey indicates they are considering
multiple approaches–the survey also found that most people say it is up to the government to
ensure communities have access to clean water.

Holistically manage ecosystems

Simply put, holistic management applies to a practical, common-sense approach to overseeing

natural resources that considers economic, cultural, and ecological goals. In essence, the whole is
greater than the sum of its parts, and each facet is related to and influences the others. Good
examples of holistic management are communities that operate sewage treatment plants while
pursuing partnerships with clean energy producers to use wastewater to fertilize algae and other
biofuel crops. The crops, in turn, soak up nutrients and purify wastewater, significantly reducing
pumping and treatment costs.

Improve distribution infrastructure

Poor infrastructure is devastating to health and the economy. It wastes resources, adds costs,
diminishes the quality of life, and allows preventable water-borne diseases to spread among
vulnerable populations, especially children. The problem is not confined to the developing world.
Pipes burst on a regular basis in the U.S., prompting boil alerts. Sewage treatment systems
regularly overflow and malfunction, causing beach closures.

Shrink corporate water footprints

Industrial water uses accounts for approximately 22 percent of global consumption. The corporate
footprint includes water that is directly and indirectly consumed when goods are produced. As
sustainable manufacturing becomes more important, given the increasing severity of water
scarcity, Peter Gleick and other experts question the costs of one industry sector in particular:
bottled water.

Build international frameworks and institutional cooperation

Binding international accords for natural resource issues are hard to achieve. The 2009 United
Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen is evidence of that point. And that’s not just
because the freshwater crisis, arguably the most visible and dire of the climate change risks, was
ignored. Regional agreements regarding transboundary or shared water bodies such as the Great
Lakes Compact in the U.S., and Nile River basin agreement in Africa are just as difficult to ratify.
But policymakers and advocates need to keep trying. Humanitarian-oriented treaties, such as the
U.N.’s drinking water Millennium Development Goals, indicate that comprehensive global
strategies are possible.
Address pollution

Measuring and monitoring water quality is essential to human health and biodiversity. This
monumental issue rears its head in many forms and can be addressed in just as many ways,
whether it’s David de Rothschild’s eco-adventure in a plastic ship or Joe Berlinger’s documentary
on oil contaminating the Ecuadorian Amazon. While securing the quality of drinking water and at
the local level, it’s essential to build international bridges to solutions.

Public common resources / equitable access

One of the key United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is ensuring access to
drinking water. While the steps to achieve this goal are debated, the thesis that water is a basic
right comes into play. As countries such as Chile attempt to reform water rights, U.S. politicians are
considering how access rights translate into federal protection of Lake Michigan, one of the
world’s largest reserves of freshwater.

R&D / Innovation

Access to water in a water-scarce world will become a much higher priority in business decisions.
Communities are likely to pursue public-private partnerships that draw on the innovative
capacities of companies. One example— cities that operate sewage treatment plants are likely to
pursue partnerships with clean energy producers to fertilize algae and other biofuel crops with
wastewater.

Water projects in developing countries / transfer of technology

Climate change and water scarcity are producing the most dramatic consequences in developing
regions, such as northwest India and Sub-Saharan Africa. One proposed solution is to transfer
water conservation technologies to these dry areas. Doing so is tricky because economies are
weak and there are gaps in skills that often compel government and business authorities to
impose these changes on local citizens.

Climate change mitigation

Climate change and water scarcity go together to cause some of the biggest contemporary
challenges to humanity. These issues have a reciprocal relationship, identified by the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), in which, “water management policies and
measures can have an influence on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.” As renewable energy
options are pursued, the water consumption of these mitigation tactics must be considered in
producing alternatives ranging from bio-energy crops to hydropower and solar power plants.

Population growth control

Because of the accelerating growth in global population, parts of the world could see a supply-
demand gap of up to 65 percent in water resources by 2030. Currently, more than one billion
people don’t have access to clean water. And with 70 percent of the world’s freshwater used for
agriculture, water’s critical role in food production must be considered as climate and resource
conditions change.