by Mary Ann Manahan
This speech was delivered during the opening plenary session, 10 Años dela Guerra del Agua of the III Feria del Agua on April 15, 2010 at Complejo Fabril, Cochabamba, Bolivia, in celebration of the 10 Years of the Water Wars.
Thank you very much for inviting me at this opening plenary. It is truly a humbling experience to be with all of you at this historic moment, and be part of a politically strategic gathering, not only for the water justice movements but also for the global justice movements. I have read and heard of the Cochabamba water wars as a young activist at the university in the Philippines. It was also the year I got actively involved in the student movement to oust a corrupt and immoral president; reading the story of the water wars inspired me in many ways to be more politicized, to be more aware of events happening around the world, and to work towards social change.
A decade later, the meanings and lessons of the Cochabamba Water Wars are more relevant than ever. In Asia, a diverse region that shares a lot of similarities to Bolivia in terms of political and economic history and developments— subjected to structural adjustment programs in the 80s by the IFIs such as the World Bank and IMF, and neoliberal policies and privatization experiments in the 90s; where widespread poverty is a day-to-day reality, and corruption in government is very much embedded in the culture of governance; and where there is a strong tradition of popular movements and citizens’ rising up to demand for their rights -- the lessons and meanings of the water wars resonate in many ways.
Let me offer three areas/points which highlight commonalities between the Cochabamba water wars and the struggles of the water justice movements in Asia my organization is directly and indirectly involved with, and share with you the state of the struggles for water in my region.
Like Bolivia, Asia has very dynamic and diverse “water justice movements” that work on different water issues and are creating spaces of resistance, establishing alternatives in different areas, and making revolutions in the process.
First, the water wars resonate in Asia in as much as it is about that the struggle for life— for the recovery of water as a commons, for water justice, and democratization. There are various campaigns to protect livelihoods, watersheds, rivers, lakes, and peoples’ control over their water resources. Privatization has become pervasive and includes privatizing fish lots and communal fishing grounds, as in the case of Tonle Sap Lake Basin, which threatens Cambodia’s food security, economy and cultural identity. This is complicated further by the IFIs and government support for mega infrastructure projects like dams. In India, the controversial Sardar Sarovar dam has displaced and further impoverished millions of indigenous peoples, fishing and farming communities. Another problem is China’s penchant for dam-construction- which has become a cross-border or transboundary issue.
All these privatization projects and new enclosure of the water as a commons result in growing resistance, and the advocacy for innovative approaches to water stewardship. Dam-affected communities with environmentalists, NGOs, academe and others in the Mekong region have time and again rightfully resisted and defended their lives and homes against the onslaughts of mega-infrastructure projects. There is also a vibrant and dynamic anti-IFI movement in South Asia and Southeast Asia that expose the real impacts of privatization programs in their communities and called for these institutions to get out of Asia. Another area where resistance is also strong is the campaign against water bottling companies such as Coca-Cola, which have been extracting groundwater and diverting it to their plants at the expense of communities—in Plachimada, India, they have managed to get Coca-Cola out of their community. Many communities in Asia are also fighting against extractive industries and agribusiness which are polluting ground and surface water— there’s an effort to link up these different struggles and these are being led by indigenous peoples, rural women, small farmers, groups, and anti-mining groups in Southeast, East and South Asia. Rivers, which have been polluted by both domestic and industrial use, are also being rejuvenated to reclaim peoples’ lives and livelihood.
Second, the water wars, 10 years after, meant highlighting an important component of our struggles— the construction and building of alternatives. We have examples of alternatives in Asia that persist even as private capital and corporations still dominate our lives and societies, especially in the area of access to, control, and sustainability of drinking water supply or water service provision in both rural and urban areas. Common among these alternatives is the need for people- centered and progressive public water management and solutions. We have strong public water delivery systems the Philippines, Malaysia, Hong Kong, South Korea, Cambodia, and Japan where participation of consumers and communities are practiced. We have state, community and social movement democratization experiments in India and Indonesia, where large parts of the population remain without access to water and sanitation but where concrete and workable alternatives to privatization exist. We also have public-public partnerships, or not-for-profit partnerships between public water operators, communities, trade unions and other groups. Equally important are community-based and consumer-owned water systems which are bridging the gap in water service delivery in many parts of Asia.
Third, 10 years after the Water Wars, the challenges we face are more immense than ever before. The multiple crises of food, climate change and water are having big impacts on our daily lives. The water crisis is intensified by climate change and environmental degradation, such as the shrinking of forests and swamps that result in chronic flooding and droughts. Global warming accelerates the melting of Himalayan snowcaps that feed Asia’s great rivers.
Climate change exacerbates existing geopolitical conflicts and problems as water is used as a tool for occupation. This is happening in Palestine where Israel limits the Palestinians’ use of well water to drive them off their lands. The struggle for water becomes intertwined with their struggle for self-determination and liberation.
Government response to climate change and political conflict would have impacts on peoples’ ability to access water. As the lifeblood of our world, water becomes a new frontier for cooperation, the success of which both requires and fosters peoples’ solidarity. The challenges are daunting but provide us with the great opportunity to imagine, dream, and construct a better tomorrow, for ourselves, our families and the future generation.
This is the great significance of the Feria del Agua, the reason we are gathered here. We are bound by the same desire and need to recreate our societies, to collectively come up with a new paradigm and “vision” on how water should be valued and managed, and to fire up a politicized citizenry and ordinary people to defend public interest through collective action. We are gathered here to join each others’ struggles—be it in Asia, Africa, Latin America, North America or Europe.
In many ways, this task is easy because we belong to the same community. Despite differences in histories and cultures, we share the same spirit and aspirations, and we can and we will rise up to protect this spirit and make our aspirations happen. We all believe that another world is possible!
For me, the Cochabamba water wars, a decade hence, is still an iconic example of the many possibilities. It can inspire and move across waters and borders. Dreams know no boundaries or geographies. As a community, the Feria del Agua is a moment from which we draw inspiration and hope.
Let’s globalize the hope, and globalize our struggles! Globalicemos La Lucha, Globalicemos L’Esperanza.
Muchas gracias!
Like Bolivia, Asia has very dynamic and diverse “water justice movements” that work on different water issues and are creating spaces of resistance, establishing alternatives in different areas, and making revolutions in the process.
First, the water wars resonate in Asia in as much as it is about that the struggle for life— for the recovery of water as a commons, for water justice, and democratization. There are various campaigns to protect livelihoods, watersheds, rivers, lakes, and peoples’ control over their water resources. Privatization has become pervasive and includes privatizing fish lots and communal fishing grounds, as in the case of Tonle Sap Lake Basin, which threatens Cambodia’s food security, economy and cultural identity. This is complicated further by the IFIs and government support for mega infrastructure projects like dams. In India, the controversial Sardar Sarovar dam has displaced and further impoverished millions of indigenous peoples, fishing and farming communities. Another problem is China’s penchant for dam-construction- which has become a cross-border or transboundary issue.
All these privatization projects and new enclosure of the water as a commons result in growing resistance, and the advocacy for innovative approaches to water stewardship. Dam-affected communities with environmentalists, NGOs, academe and others in the Mekong region have time and again rightfully resisted and defended their lives and homes against the onslaughts of mega-infrastructure projects. There is also a vibrant and dynamic anti-IFI movement in South Asia and Southeast Asia that expose the real impacts of privatization programs in their communities and called for these institutions to get out of Asia. Another area where resistance is also strong is the campaign against water bottling companies such as Coca-Cola, which have been extracting groundwater and diverting it to their plants at the expense of communities—in Plachimada, India, they have managed to get Coca-Cola out of their community. Many communities in Asia are also fighting against extractive industries and agribusiness which are polluting ground and surface water— there’s an effort to link up these different struggles and these are being led by indigenous peoples, rural women, small farmers, groups, and anti-mining groups in Southeast, East and South Asia. Rivers, which have been polluted by both domestic and industrial use, are also being rejuvenated to reclaim peoples’ lives and livelihood.
Second, the water wars, 10 years after, meant highlighting an important component of our struggles— the construction and building of alternatives. We have examples of alternatives in Asia that persist even as private capital and corporations still dominate our lives and societies, especially in the area of access to, control, and sustainability of drinking water supply or water service provision in both rural and urban areas. Common among these alternatives is the need for people- centered and progressive public water management and solutions. We have strong public water delivery systems the Philippines, Malaysia, Hong Kong, South Korea, Cambodia, and Japan where participation of consumers and communities are practiced. We have state, community and social movement democratization experiments in India and Indonesia, where large parts of the population remain without access to water and sanitation but where concrete and workable alternatives to privatization exist. We also have public-public partnerships, or not-for-profit partnerships between public water operators, communities, trade unions and other groups. Equally important are community-based and consumer-owned water systems which are bridging the gap in water service delivery in many parts of Asia.
Third, 10 years after the Water Wars, the challenges we face are more immense than ever before. The multiple crises of food, climate change and water are having big impacts on our daily lives. The water crisis is intensified by climate change and environmental degradation, such as the shrinking of forests and swamps that result in chronic flooding and droughts. Global warming accelerates the melting of Himalayan snowcaps that feed Asia’s great rivers.
Climate change exacerbates existing geopolitical conflicts and problems as water is used as a tool for occupation. This is happening in Palestine where Israel limits the Palestinians’ use of well water to drive them off their lands. The struggle for water becomes intertwined with their struggle for self-determination and liberation.
Government response to climate change and political conflict would have impacts on peoples’ ability to access water. As the lifeblood of our world, water becomes a new frontier for cooperation, the success of which both requires and fosters peoples’ solidarity. The challenges are daunting but provide us with the great opportunity to imagine, dream, and construct a better tomorrow, for ourselves, our families and the future generation.
This is the great significance of the Feria del Agua, the reason we are gathered here. We are bound by the same desire and need to recreate our societies, to collectively come up with a new paradigm and “vision” on how water should be valued and managed, and to fire up a politicized citizenry and ordinary people to defend public interest through collective action. We are gathered here to join each others’ struggles—be it in Asia, Africa, Latin America, North America or Europe.
In many ways, this task is easy because we belong to the same community. Despite differences in histories and cultures, we share the same spirit and aspirations, and we can and we will rise up to protect this spirit and make our aspirations happen. We all believe that another world is possible!
For me, the Cochabamba water wars, a decade hence, is still an iconic example of the many possibilities. It can inspire and move across waters and borders. Dreams know no boundaries or geographies. As a community, the Feria del Agua is a moment from which we draw inspiration and hope.
Let’s globalize the hope, and globalize our struggles! Globalicemos La Lucha, Globalicemos L’Esperanza.
Muchas gracias!
