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Effects of Poor Management and Mining on Water Provision in La Paz, Bolivia

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Effects of Poor Management and Mining on Water Provision in La Paz, Bolivia Modern Environmental Science and Engineering (ISSN 2333-2581) September 2018, Volume 4, No. 9, pp. 838-855 Doi: 10.15341/mese(2333-2581)/09.04.2018/008 Academic Star Publishing Company, 2018 www.academicstar.us The New Water War: Effects of Poor Management and Mining on Water Provision in La Paz, Bolivia Patricia Alejandra Oviedo Cespedes The New School of Public Engagement, Milano School of International Affairs, USA Abstract: This paper examines the social and political repercussions of one of Bolivia’s worst water crisis in one of the main urban centers: the city of La Paz. The water crisis is used as a case study to analyze the factors that currently threaten water supply systems in the country. Data was collected through a revision of articles and reports. For recent information a series of semi-structured interviews with local experts working in this issue were performed during a 5-month period. The paper provides an overview on the historical background of water supply management at a national level, to display the political and regulatory trends that continue to affect people’s right to water. To explore the causes of the water crisis, the paper foregrounds the impact of extractive industries, low investments in infrastructure, and lack of institutional transparency on the accelerated rate of water resource depletion. To conclude the paper provides examples of alternative models of water management currently being explored by peri-urban communities in La Paz and Cochabamba. The models explored highlight the need for water sanitation and favor community-led water treatment systems as horizontal structures that can promote the protection and remediation of bodies of water in the country. Key words: water resources, extractive industries, mining, climate change, institutional transparency, Bolivia resources. Hydrologic and hydro geologic estimates 1. Introduction indicate that Bolivia has one of the highest levels of 3 “Water is the basis of reciprocity and water per capita in the world, with about 38,000 m complementarity; it helps to resolve problems and per person [3]. Bolivia is also comprised of three establish relationships; water is everybody’s and nobody’s” [1]. extensive river basins that cover most of the country: The Amazon, La Plata, and The Central Basin [4]. In The availability of this extensive but diminishing addition, it is home to 11 important wetlands protected resource is the driver of the most important under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of socioeconomic processes and interactions. However, International importance [4]. for the people in Bolivia access to reliable water Since the privatization of the water, conflicts over provision has historically been a source of conflict the resource have exacerbated. The commonly known among the population and those in control of its privatization “wave” in the period of 2000-2006, management. Studies show that every year, 4 out of witnessed corporations that privatized water resources the 9 departments in the country experience periods of but failed to improve systems and unjustly drought that lead to strict rationing for several months incremented tariffs, leaving thousands without access. [2]. This fact is ironic considering the fact that Bolivia The end of privatization in 2006 marked the is rich in both groundwater and surface water metaphorical beginning of the anti-neoliberal Corresponding author: Patricia Alejandra Oviedo economic model in Bolivia, introducing the state as Cespedes, Master; research areas/interests: environmental the new primary owner of water. Although the shift sciences, water management, hydrology, international development, renewable energy, waste management, from private to public control of water entities inserted environmental toxicology. E-mail: [email protected]. The New Water War: Effects of Poor Management and Mining on Water Provision in La Paz, Bolivia 839 the protection of Mother Earth or “La Pachamama” responses to climate change and extractives. By and universal access to water into the new political introducing the best practices of community led scheme, recent events like the 2016 Water Crisis1 in solutions to these issues, the importance of the “social La Paz show these constitutional rights are far from re-appropriation” of water systems is explained. reality. Through this, the paper examines the reasons these The drastic decrease in urban and rural water supply communities have been successful in delivering in La Paz was initially attributed to factors such as collective access of water to their communities, but delayed precipitation seasons caused by climate considers the diverse challenges these strategies still change and the failure of EPSAS, the Public Water face. To conclude, this paper argues that Bolivia must Service Provider to inform the public and local transition from the theoretic dialogue of “respecting authorities about the issue when it had started months mother earth” to effective actions that protect natural earlier2. Infuriated populations filled the streets of La resources and the rights of the people that depend on Paz to demand their rights to stable water provision them. and expressed rejection against plans of response and 2. Material and Methods emergency. In addition to the multiple socioeconomic and health repercussions the Water Crisis had on the Data was collected through an in depth literature population of La Paz, this event revealed underlying review of scientific articles on hydrologic resources in issues that are impacting the water supply system Bolivia and semi-structured interviews. Articles and which were previously unknown to the public. documents developed by climate scientists, Contrary to the main arguments discussed by local sociologists and NGO’S were revised to develop the authorities, the Water Crisis was not only the result of background sections of the paper and provide an climate change variations, but of a mix of factors that overview of the politics behind water management in the experts and activists had warned the authorities Bolivia. Reports written on the condition of about years before. Hydrologic Infrastructure by Governmental Acknowledging the complexity of tackling the Institutions and International Organizations years multiple barriers that exist to accomplish the goal of were studied to compare it to current situations. Due universal access to water, the paper also mentions two to the fact the Water Crisis event is recent (2016-2017) potential approaches that can begin to counteract new information was obtained through semi structured factors threatening the country’s water supply. At a and unstructured interviews. national level, water sanitation is emphasized as a Experts interviewed included Hydrology Engineers, sector that needs to be improved to promote the NGOs, Climatologists, and Activists. In addition, reutilization of treated waters in agricultural and several newspaper articles were revised to record industrial sectors. At local levels, the paper analyzes public opinion on the issue. This method of data community led initiatives that are already treating collection was selected as the best approach because residual waters and practicing other adaptation the issue is recent and still actively discussed in the country. Moreover, because the Water Crisis affected 1 This paper will refer as the “Water Crisis” to a series of events that occurred in La Paz in 2016 and left around 94 multiple sectors of the population and had multiple neighborhoods without water provision for a period of 4 causes and repercussions, thus perspectives from months. This Water Crisis will be used in the context of explaining the multiple factors that currently threaten water different disciplines were required. For each of the resources at a national level. semi-structured interviews approximately 20 2 The impacts of the water crisis were first felt in November 2016, however EPSAS had known the water dams had been questions were developed and these focused on two decreasing at an accelerated rate since May 2016. 840 The New Water War: Effects of Poor Management and Mining on Water Provision in La Paz, Bolivia core areas: perspectives on the causes of the water and the World Bank. This agreement arose as part of crisis but also approaches that can be explored and the Washington Consensus of 1989, an agreement in implemented in La Paz as mitigation and adaptation which several stakeholders from the IMF, the World responses. Bank and the World Trade Organization provided a In order to analyze the proximity and the potential prescriptive approach to decrease poverty in impacts mining activities had on water dams in La Paz, developing countries: trade liberalization and open a simple geo spatial analysis was performed using Arc market economies that focused industry towards GIS. The exact latitude and longitude of mines in the exports [8]. For Bolivia, this agreement meant the city were mapped using data from GEO Bolivia. In IMF and the World Bank would provide the country addition, the exact geographic location of water dams loans and debt financing, under the situation that in La Paz was mapped using coordinates from the Bolivia would adhere to economic conditions such as World Bank data. A 30-meter buffer was created eliminating barriers to foreign corporations and around dams to observe which mines fell in the area of investments [9]. Commonly known as the Structural interest. The 30-meter buffer was determined as global Adjustments, these shifts opened the door
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