4004 foei [nature 4 sale] 3 PQt (Page 1)

This report by Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) examines the social and environmental consequences of privatizing water and biodiversity across 34 global case studies. It argues that neoliberal policies promoted by international financial institutions (IFIs) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) prioritize corporate profit over human rights and ecological sustainability, disproportionately marginalizing the poor and Indigenous Peoples.

• International Financial Institutions (IFIs), such as the World Bank and IMF, use structural adjustment programs and loan conditionalities to force developing countries to privatize public assets, including water and forest resources, to attract foreign direct investment.
• The WTO's General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) facilitates the commodification of nature by treating water and biodiversity management as services that can be traded, which may prevent governments from implementing environmental protections.
• Water privatization often leads to increased costs and decreased access for the poor, as seen in Cochabamba, Bolivia, where rates increased by 35-51%, and in Manila, Philippines, where prices rose by 500%.
• The privatization of forests and national parks frequently results in the displacement of Indigenous Peoples and the loss of traditional land rights, as demonstrated by the 'invisible' privatization of clan land in Papua New Guinea and the exclusion of the Aché people in Paraguay.
• Carbon sequestration markets and the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) under the Kyoto Protocol are criticized for promoting large-scale monoculture tree plantations, which can destroy biodiversity and displace local communities.
• Biopiracy is increasing as corporations use patents to claim ownership over genetic resources and traditional knowledge from biodiversity-rich countries, often without fair compensation or consent from local communities.
• Privatization disproportionately impacts women, who are often the primary providers of water and gatherers of non-timber forest products, increasing their economic burden and dependence on male earners.
• The report claims that the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are being 'privatized' through public-private partnerships, allowing corporations to influence environmental policies while governments abdicate their responsibilities.

APA

Friends of the Earth International (n.d.). 4004 foei [nature 4 sale] 3 PQt (Page 1). https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/privatization1.pdf

Chicago

Friends of the Earth International. 4004 foei [nature 4 sale] 3 PQt (Page 1). n.d. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/privatization1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Friends of the Earth International |title=4004 foei [nature 4 sale] 3 PQt (Page 1) |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/privatization1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{friendsoftheearthinternationalnd4004, author = {{Friends of the Earth International}}, title = {{4004 foei [nature 4 sale] 3 PQt (Page 1)}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/privatization1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }