The Scarcity of Clean Water

Again, Tony Campolo and Gordon Aeschliman in Everybody Wants to Change the World do an excellent job breaking down a very complex issue:

The fact is that one billion people in the world today—one out of every six humans—have no access to safe drinking water. And 2.6 billion people, or roughly 40 percent of the global population, do not have basic sanitation services. . . .

Water is not a neutral commodity but is highly politicized. Wars are fought over the rights to it, and the nations have entered into complex treaties about its appropriate use. At the local level, the issue of who has the rights to the water must also be resolved. Can someone dump waste into a river if others down river if others downstream will be affected? Can someone upstream dam a river to ensure enough water year round for his of her crops? . . . For decades, companies have been scouring the globe to secure the rights to other people's water.

Some have raised the question in ethical terms: Does anyone have the right to control another person's access to water when it is a matter of basic health and survival?

Everybody Wants to Change the World is written for youth and college students, but I'd recommend it for anyone looking for clear explanations of some of the world's injustices and practical ways to respond.

For more on the issue of safe water, visit the World Water Council (www.worldwatercouncil.org).