Water

Bolivia's war over water

Jim Shultz of the Democracy Center tells the story of Cochabamba's revolt against US multinational Bechtel, where the people stood up against attempts to control their water and set an example for millions fighting for a just world.

How Bechtel lost its $50 million case against Bolivia

After US multinational Bechtel was thrown out of Cochabamba in a popular revolt, it sued Bolivia with other shareholders for $50 million. Five years later, it settled for 30 cents. Find out how popular pressure forced them to back down.

Right to water

Jim Shultz explains with practical examples from Bolivia why the World Bank policy of privatising water fails the poor and why human rights need to be put at the heart of a new policies designed to deliver clean drinking water for all.

14 reasons to break the contract

FEJUVE, the El Alto residents association outlines 14 reasons why they demanded the end of the contract with privatised water utility, Aguas del Illimani

Women, privatisation and conflict

Why women were at the forefront of the Cochabamba "water war" and the perspectives they bring to a communal, participative management of a resource essential for life

Water privatization and public health in Latin America

Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health studied water privatization in Latin America and found "little compelling evidence in the public health literature or the relevant development literature that privatization is the best, or even necessarily a good, route for improving water access and public health." Examining Cochabamba, El Alto, and La Paz, they encountered "persistent concerns about access and affordability for the poor", concluding that "privatization alone is not a fiscally viable way for financing service extensions for the poor."

After the Water War

What happened after the people of Cochabamba recovered control over their water? What are the challenges that still remain to building a participative public company? Daniel Andala Cohen reports.