by Thokozile Gurganious

Created on: July 27, 2009   Last Updated: July 28, 2009

It is said that about one third of the world's people suffer alarming water stress. Over 80 countries carrying about 40% of the world's population had water shortage problems in the 1990s. The growth of the world's population, world industrial progress and agriculture relying on irrigation are causing stress on the available water resources. More than a billion people, mainly in Africa and Asia, still lack access to clean water.

Predictions by the World Bank are that two thirds of the global population will not have safe and clean drinking water by 2025, and Fortune magazine is already foretelling that ""water is the oil of the 21 century" and corporations are rushing to invest in the water business."

It is now established that water is a basic human right. The right to clean water is mentioned in many international human rights instruments and many national constitutions. The Economic and Social Council of the UN issued General Comment No. 15 in 2002, and it states that, "The human right to water is indispensable for leading a life in human dignity. It is a prerequisite for the realization of other human rights."'

Water is so vital to human existence that indeed it would not be possible to enjoy other human rights without it. That being the case, it is mind boggling why some governments would think of handing over the reigns to this precious commodity to for-profit corporations. The guiding light in the corporate world is profits, and the needs and welfare of people are a minor concern of the corporate world. This leads us to the first reason why corporate involvement in the world water crisis is not good for society.

Water is a human right, but the corporate world is not concerned with human rights. At any rate, human rights are an entitlement of citizens from their governments. Corporations do not owe citizens human rights, although governments have a duty to ensure that the corporations do not violate the human rights of citizens and to protect their citizens from the corporations.

The corporate world, especially multi-national corporations, is notorious for violating human rights of people worldwide. They do that in collusion with corrupt government officials whose palms they grease. In some countries, large corporations are the virtual governments, and rule without being accountable to the people.

Involving the corporate world in the water crisis is a bad thing for society. Fortunately, as of now, about 90% of the water and sanitation systems

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