agua para la vida y el sustento

This briefing by Friends of the Earth International, produced for the 3rd World Water Forum in Kyoto, argues that water should be treated as a fundamental human right and a public trust rather than a commodity. It critiques the privatization of water services and the influence of international financial institutions in imposing market-based models on developing nations, advocating instead for sustainable, participatory, and public management that prioritizes basic human needs and ecosystem health.

• Human consumption of freshwater for industrial, agricultural, and domestic use, combined with poor wastewater management, is threatening the hydrological cycle. This crisis is exacerbated by predictions that water use will increase by 50% over the next 30 years.
• Environmental degradation has led to severe losses in biodiversity and freshwater sources, with approximately 50% of the world's wetlands disappearing in the last century and nearly 20% of freshwater fish species becoming extinct or endangered.
• Large-scale infrastructure projects, specifically dams, have caused significant social and environmental displacement, resulting in the displacement of between 40 and 80 million people from their homes.
• The document opposes the privatization of water and the treatment of water as a 'commodity' within the World Trade Organization (WTO) or other trade agreements like the Free Trade Area of the Americas. It argues that privatization often leads to the disconnection of poor consumers and prioritizes short-term profits over long-term ecosystem and human health.
• International Financial Institutions (IFIs), including the IMF and World Bank, are criticized for pressuring developing countries to adopt top-down, market-oriented water management models and full cost recovery as conditions for financing.
• Water should be managed as a public trust by democratically elected governments, prioritizing basic human needs (drinking, cooking, sanitation) and the protection of ecosystems over commercial crops and industry.
• The state of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil is cited as a successful model where water companies are publicly owned but financially independent, utilizing citizen control and public participation in investment decisions.

APA

Friends of the Earth International (2003). agua para la vida y el sustento. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/water_briefing_esp.pdf

Chicago

Friends of the Earth International. agua para la vida y el sustento. 2003. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/water_briefing_esp.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Friends of the Earth International |title=agua para la vida y el sustento |date=March 2003 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/water_briefing_esp.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{friendsoftheearthinternational2003agua, author = {{Friends of the Earth International}}, title = {{agua para la vida y el sustento}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2003}, month = mar, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/water_briefing_esp.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }