October 2006 IRIN I n - D e p t h Running Dry: the humanitarian impact of the global water crisis In times of crisis or disaster, humanitarian workers and governments need an accurate account of events and situations on the ground. An information service that focuses on a daily basis on humanitarian issues in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, IRIN seeks to satisfy that need. Our aim is to bridge the information gap between decision makers, humanitarian workers and the people they are trying to help. For more information on our services visit our website at: www.IRINnews.org 2 inside this issue 1. Features - The global water crisis: Managing a dwindling resource..................................................................................................3 - Water is running out: How inevitable are international conflicts?....................................................................................6 - The impacts of dams: a continuing controversy .............................................................................................................10 - A catalyst for peace? The case for water cooperation .....................................................................................................14 I n - D e p t h IRIN - Water privatisation: a profitable commodity or basic right?...........................................................................................17 - The gender dimensions of water access.........................................................................................................................22 - Poverty and lack of water access: Inextricably linked....................................................................................................25 2. Frontlines - AFGHANISTAN: Water crisis a growing human tragedy ..................................................................................................29 - BURUNDI: Poor management cripples water delivery....................................................................................................30 - CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Poor water provision harbours public danger..................................................................32 - CENTRAL ASIA: Aral Sea crisis threatens public health ...................................................................................................34 - CENTRAL ASIA: Lack of potable water forces families to move.......................................................................................35 - CHAD-SUDAN: Sudanese refugees and Chadian hosts share scarce water......................................................................36 - CONGO: Rural residents left high and dry for lack of clean water ...................................................................................37 - CONGO: Thirsty for infrastructure? .................................................................................................................................39 - COTE D’IVOIRE: Keeping it flowing during conflict..........................................................................................................41 - GHANA: To protect or not to protect water resources – Cape Coast learns the hard way ................................................43 - ISRAEL: “Water is almost as difficult an issue as the refugees,” says NGO........................................................................44 - JORDAN: The death of the Dead Sea...............................................................................................................................46 - JORDAN: Water shortage remains a constant headache.................................................................................................48 - KENYA: Kibera, The Forgotten City..................................................................................................................................49 - LIBERIA: The post-conflict water-sellers ........................................................................................................................52 - NEPAL: Hydropower could help alleviate poverty...........................................................................................................53 - NIGER: Water, water everywhere but few have access ...................................................................................................54 - PAKISTAN: Water scarcity and contamination ................................................................................................................55 - SOUTH AFRICA: HIV/AIDS and water privatisation: the human impact...........................................................................57 - SUDAN: Controversy surrounds new dam that will displace 50,000 ...............................................................................58 3. Interviews - Catherine Mwango, executive director of Kenya Water for Health Organisation.............................................................61 - Carlos Linares, Senior Water Policy Adviser of the Energy and Environment Group, Bureau for Development Policy at the United Nations Development Programme .....................................................................................................................63 - Pierre Ndikumangenge, Burundi’s minister of agriculture and livestock........................................................................66 - Alexander Likhotal, president and CEO of Green Cross International..............................................................................68 - Gerald Rukunga, AMREF programme manager of water and sanitation ........................................................................71 - Water expert Dr Walid Saleh ..........................................................................................................................................73 4. References - Related links..................................................................................................................................................................75 5. Illustrations - World population without improved sanitation.............................................................................................................78 - Progress in drinking water coverage..............................................................................................................................79 - Sanitation coverage around the globe...........................................................................................................................79 - Population without improved drinking water sources by regions ..................................................................................80 - Improved sanitation coverage by regions ......................................................................................................................81 6. How to contact IRIN......................................................................................................................................................81 Running Dry: the humanitarian impact of the global water crisis, IRIN In-Depth, October 2006 - Page 2 3 1. Features -The global water crisis: Managing a dwindling resource groundwater. In addition, increased pollution is dam- aging ecosystems and the health, lives and livelihoods of those without access to adequate, safe drinking water and basic sanitation. From the Aral Sea to Lake Chad and including most of the major rivers of the world, water reduction through I n - D e p t h IRIN environmental change and human exploitation is massive. In Africa, studies have shown rainfall pat- terns shifting away from the continents’ interior to its coasts, leaving millions of fast-growing inland popula- tions without sufficient water for consumption or food Credit: Manoocher Deghati/IRIN production. The triennial UN report further claimed that “major “Our demand for water has turned us into vampires, demographic changes are also seriously affecting draining the world of its lifeblood. What can we do to the quality and quantity of available freshwater on prevent mass global drought and starvation?” asked the planet.” For the first time in human history, a Fred Pearce, the New Scientist’s environmental expert smaller proportion of the global population now lives and author of ‘When the Rivers Run Dry”, published in in rural areas, according to UN statistics from June February 2006. 2006. Increased urbanisation, especially in develop- ing countries, leads directly to poor heath as the work There is some mordant irony that in the last 18 months necessary to develop infrastructure required to deliver parts of the world have witnessed colossal damage clean water and sanitation proves insurmountable in and lost of life due to the excess of water, at a time many countries. Inadequate water not only leads to when the diminishing stock of freshwater continues to poor health but also a low quality of life and, in some affect millions of people and threaten future crises. cases, social unrest. The tragedy of the water crisis is that irrespective of the changes caused by global Since the tsunami of December 2004 claimed more warming or the pressures of modern man on the than a quarter-million lives and caused billions of environment, there is a lot of water around, if only we dollars of damage, excess of water has created other z knew how to share and manage it. natural disasters, including the 2005 hurricanes in the Caribbean, western Pacific and the United States and Water resources flooding from unprecedented rainfall