This paper provides an overview about the world banks role, about the city of cochabamba, bolivia, and the public. While the former board of directors was staffed exclusively by professionals and politicians, since april 2002 three members elected from the. The cochabamba water war, was a series of protests that took place in cochabamba, bolivias third largest city, between december 1999 and april 2000 in response to the privatization of the citys municipal water supply company semapa. We won the struggle but not the war after the water war, social control was supposed to resolve the problems with corruption that have historically plagued public utilities. Its aftermath by jim shultz pdf water war in cochabamba bolivia and future. It was the result of negotiations between social movements and the state during the water wars. Water privatisation in cochabamba, bolivia ecc library. Denying poor people access to water by privatizing water distribution or polluting wells and rivers is also terrorism.
A fragment of this great documentary on the available 3% freshwater worldwide and all problems associated with the use and abuse connected to this resource. Pdf on jan 1, 2004, rocio bustamante and others published the water war. Water wars by vandana shiva south end press, 2002 pxiv destruction of water resources and of forest catchments and aquifers is a form of terrorism. In 1999 and 2000after privatizing many industries, most significantly the minesthe transnationals, the world bank and the government mafias, attempted to take away our water. This article was adapted from our latest book, sharing cities. In 2000, the proprivatization law 2029 was canceled and rewritten as drinking water and sanitation services law 2066. The socalled water war of cochabamba in the year 2000 is usually explained only as a protest by urban water users against a rate increase. In june 1999, the world bank advocated for the privatization of water distribution systems in a detailed report on cochabamba s water problems. The system was characterized by significant maintenance and administrative problems. But it seems that the government has come to bechtels rescue, insisting the company remain in bolivia. Today, bolivias lingering water scarcity reveals instability in the wake of the water wars, and the ongoing challenge of resource allocation that the morales administration currently faces. Bolivias water wars rising water prices precipitated the conflict by denying basic human rights protection to vulnerable communities. Cochabamba is a town of 800,000 situated high in the andes mountains of bolivia.
In cochabamba, the people did not think in terms of regulations and rights, but rather looked to their own communitys history to develop rules based on their own culture. Quchapanpa is a city and municipality in central bolivia in a valley in the andes mountain range. The cochabamba water wars would eventually launch him into the presidency of bolivia. It is the capital of the cochabamba department and the fourth largest city in bolivia, with a population of 630,587 according to the 2012 bolivian census. Identify factors that contributed to the water wars in cochabamba, bolivia, in 2000.
Dignity and defiance sample chapter university of california press. Cochabamba water war cochabamba\water war bolivias. Bustamante and others published women in the water war in the cochabamba valleys find, read and cite all the. The communities of cochabamba taking control of their own.
Cochabamba water war bolivias water war took place in 2000 in cochabamba as people rallied in opposition to the privatization of the local water and sanitation system crabtree and chaplin. The wave of demonstrations and police violence was described as a public uprising against water prices. The cochabamba water war was a series of protests that took place in cochabamba, bolivias fourth largest city, between december 1999 and april 2000 in response to the privatization of the citys municipal water supply company semapa. Cochabamba, bolivia, urban water expansion case study water. The cochabamba water war was a series of protests that took place in cochabamba, bolivias. Cochabamba, the water wars and climate change truthdig. Oscar olivera oo is a trade unionist and leader of the famous water wars which unfolded in cochabamba in 2000 following the privatization of the citys water supply. Two years ago, a popular protest there turned into a deadly riot.
The cochabamba water wars were fought over water prices rather than over water pollution or irrigation con. Download pdf water wars free online new books in politics. The tensions erupted when a new firm, aguas del tunari. According to a recent world bank report, because of climate change, rising consumption, and growing populations, up to 3. A history of water in 20thcentury bogota virtual exhibition. This paper will discuss the water war that took place in cochabamba, bolivia in 2000, written from the perspective of the world bank. The triumphant struggle of grassroots activists in cochabamba, bolivia, sounded a significant opening salvo in the water wars. However, dwindling water supplies induced by global climate change, overconsumption and. Cochabamba has a history of water struggles and the tale of these two different approaches to water dates back to 1999 and 2000. President sends police to combat demonstrators protesting economic woes.
The global legend of the great cochabamba water revolt was borna powerful. In 1999, cochabamba s public water supplier, semapa, was leased to the international consortium aguas del tunari. The story of the water revolt and its aftermath is so much more complicated than the myth of the water revolt. Market reforms and water wars world politics cambridge. Bolivias water wars resulted from an oversimplification of institutional options. This mural in cochabamba, bolivia, was created in as part of the events marking the 10th anniversary of the the water war, in which the local population rose up and reversed the privatization of their water supply and its takeover by the multinational bechtel in order to reaffirm their defense of water as a common good, a series of grassroots events marking the. Cochabamba water revolt timeline frontline world bolivias war over water the democracy center the cochabamba water revolt and its aftermath by jim shultz pdf water war in cochabamba bolivia and future scenarios from blue gold. Stories from bolivias challenge to globalization writes. Key points of bolivian policy reforms sparked by the cochabamba water war. Cochabamba chapter of the society of bolivian engineers was forced to consider alternative approaches to address water scarcity assies, 21. The bolivian government put the citys water supply up for auction, and aguas. Pdf the world banks involvement in the cochabamba water. February 8, 2000 word of the war over water hits western press a war over water, an onthescene report on the clash between riot police and protesters in cochabamba, is.
Interview subjects include water policymakers, government officials, members of water regulatory bodies, members of ngos, water union members, water utility workers, world bank staff, and water policy analysts. Water, privatization and conflict heinrichbollstiftung. Eventually, the citys water was renationalised and access to water received new legal backing. Cochabamba water war in bolivia oscar olivera, tom. The chief demand of the water warriors, as they were called, was the removal of a private, foreignled consortium that had taken over cochabamba s water system. Communication strategy spokespersonliaison network development communication participatory communication the cochabamba water wars brought an end to bechtel agua del tunaris control over the water system in april 2000. War of the wells was resolved through a combination of payments to the. Cochabamba, bolivia, urban water expansion case study water project summary. The story of the cochabamba water war is recounted in detail elsewhere see olivera 2004 olivera, oscar. In 2000, privatisation of the drinking water in cochabamba incurred violent protests and escalated into the socalled water war of cochabamba, which killed at least nine people. Ninety percent of cochabamba s citizens believed it was time for bechtels subsidiary to return the water system to public control, according to results of a 60,000person survey conducted in march. Spanish language learners access and evaluate information from an interview in spanish with oscar olivera, an important leader in the cochabamba water wars. In cochabamba, bolivia, the lack of water has caused conflicts for decades.
Lessons on forming collaborative governance from cochabamba by travis driessen the now famous water war in cochabamba, bolivia, provided some of the first shots against privatisation of water services heard around world, as an awakened and politicized citizenry. Women in the water war in the cochabamba valleys request pdf. Today, more than one billion people live in water scarce regions. Most of the times, it has been believed that the readers, who are using the ebooks for first time, happen to have a tough time before getting used to them. Its name is from a compound of the quechua words qucha lake and pampa, open. Market reforms and water wars volume 68 issue 1 erica s. How a water war in bolivia led to the reversal of privatization. The water wars, which involved shutting down cochabamba for six months, were so successful because the social movements fighting against privatization of municipal water supplies were extremely. At the united nations climate summit in copenhagen, he called for. In 2001, water warriors there regained control of their water supply and defied all odds by driving out the transnational corporation that had stolen their water in the first place. The people of cochabamba, for instance, saw the privatization project as violating a sacred right, while big businesses saw water as a profitable service.
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