Forum (Spotlight Weekly)

Water And Globalization

By Nadine Gordimer

Here we have our world, whose life is writ in water. About 1.123 billion (18.5 percent) of the people on our planet are without safe water. Between 1990 and 2000 their numbers in Africa increased from 293 millionto 309 million, in Latin America increased from 86 million to 92 million, in Asia decreased only from 800 million to 695 million - not quite as disappointing as it appears, since populations rose significantly, mounting the number to be served.

Across the regions, those with access to safe water grew from 3.06 billion to 3.89 billion.But the conclusion is that, in the decade, the number of people served barely kept pace with population increase; the number without water fell by less than 10 percent. It is in urban areas that access is in danger of falling further behind; wars - waged, declared and undeclared - political, racial and religious conflicts send those who flee them wandering, proliferating outer cities of shelter without resources.

The world target set by the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development in 2000 was to halve the number of the world's people without water by 2015, even with population increases. I place my priority in water as development within this context, from the perspective of my country, South Africa. In 1994, 12 million South Africans (Population 45 million) were without access to safe water. In 2002, well over six million are already provided with this, and by end of this year it is assured, in proven practice, that less than half the original number will be left to serve. The basic supply - free - is 25 liters per person per day at access not farther than 200 meters away. The process is established to fulfill the aim of bringing water to everyone in South Africa by 2008. The rest of the water- problematical world hasn't seen comparable progress.

Despite the rise in urban need, the rural one is paramount in many countries. Provision of water safe to drink, to cook with and wash involves many factors beyond a tap and pipes from some source. The project has to have funds for reticulation or other transport, purification, distribution. In rural South Africa the neglect of past regimes has left women still walking considerable distances to fetch a bucket of water. Access: the poorest have none because they have nomoney in their community. If a structure provides clean water to be paid for (installment and maintenance are costly) it is seen that people will continue to fetch theirs from polluted rivers that carry cholera. Various ways are tried to monitor basic free water; a card for a fixed amount to be inserted at the conveniently - installed source is one.

Water: as the best means of sanitation it's unachievable in many areas. Yet water and hygiene are inextricably connected. Pit toilets answer the need to dispose of human waste. But whether at a homestead or communally used, if they are placed near streams or rivers, seepage occurs, and pollution of sources of water drawn on for purification defeats a water project. And there's the essential, simple practice many provided withm toilets have to be taught: water must be used to wash hands.

Water is significant to democratic development. Managing water has been a basis of democracy in the past of many countries (e.g., Netherlands and the United Kingdom). This implies the responsibility of local democracy: since affordability versus poverty is one of the barriers to water access, cooperation of the community with the government is absolutely essential : organization to manage the resource collectively and in accordance with how local people know their needs. The issue may be as small as the provision of diesel oil to keep a village pump going; or it may be a factor in wider necessity to provide electricity to the community.

South Africa is fortunate in that we have a rich strata to support the distribution of basic free water. Other countries - for example, our neighbor Mozambique - cannot afford to do so. A challenge to the Summit is how to provide the water of life in the poorest countries, surely a primary aspect of meaningful globalization.

Water. Think of it as you turn up your face under the shower.

Gordimer, winner of the 1991 Nobel prize for Literature, ahs been a UNDP Goodwill Ambassador Since 1998. Excerpts of the article published in Choices Magazine.