A Chara, - Yesterday, March 22nd, was World Water Day, intended to highlight the global crisis affecting more than 3 billion people who lack access to water and sanitation in the developing world.
Recent events in Ireland suggest that this crisis may be reaching our shores. A recent EPA report estimates a 25 per cent decrease in rainfall during the summer months within 10 years, while increased rainfall during winter will worsen flooding. Economic growth has intensified the demands on water resources, leading to unsustainable side-effects. The apparent contamination of the water supply in Co Galway is a case in point and we have learned from the EPA that in 2005 a fifth of urban waste water was discharged directly into rivers and lakes.
The introduction of water charges in Northern Ireland - broadly rejected by the public as privatisation by stealth - has been made contingent on the agreement to power-sharing in the Northern Assembly. This use of water as a political tool is a cause for concern.
To promote greater awareness of these issues, the Dublin-based Latin America Solidarity Centre (www.lasc.ie) plans to host a week-long event, "Thirsting For Justice: Defending the Global Water Commons" between April 15th and 21st. Speakers from Latin America will share their experiences of water privatisation, a trend set by the World Bank which has been met with popular resistance in countries such as Bolivia, Uruguay and Argentina in recent years.
We stand in solidarity with members of the European Parliament and representatives of non-EU countries who pledged to promote fair, sustainable and equitable access to water for all at the World Water Assembly in Brussels earlier this month. - Is mise,
MUIREANN DE BARRA, Latin America Solidarity Centre, Merrion Row, Dublin 2.