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Water Ills: Quenching the World's Thirst |
| Section: CURRENT ISSUES / ANALYSIS |
| Author: Jurgen Schmandt |
| Publication:
The World & I Online |
| Issue Date: 4/1/2003 |
| Size: 2,419 Words, 15,436 Characters |
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Each day, the newspapers publish the price of commodities we take from nature, such as oil, gold, copper, and other minerals. We know that these goods can only be had at a price and that the price varies depending on demand, war, politics, and other factors.
There is no entry in the commodity list, however, for that essential geochemical known as water. Why? Should this be changed? How might this be done?
Water, with few exceptions, has been allocated by law, not the market. This practice reflects the fact that water, like air, is necessary for life. Worldwide, people have agreed that access to water is a fundamental right that should not be limited to those who can pay. As a result, water laws provide access to water, at least in theory, irrespective of income. Water, for a long time, was viewed as a social rather than an economic good. As we shall see, this view is now changing. But first, some background.
In the United States, two sets of laws regulate who can take how much water and for what purpose. In the water-rich eastern states, landowners next to a river or stream can use the water. In the water-scarce West--from the Rocky Mountains to California--Spanish law remains the basis of today's legal standards, which distinguish between old and new water claims. Old claims take precedence over new ones. That made sense for water used by miners and farmers. Now, as more people and industries move to desert environments, this approach is increasingly under stress. The eastern system is called riparian law (th...
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...s humankind stands at the threshold of the twenty-first century, a truly herculean task faces the world community: to take the water resources that nature has provided and channel them equitably and efficiently to the human family. If we fail, the result could be unspeakable suffering, as hundreds of millions are forced to migrate or live in increasing squalor, poverty, sickness, and malnutrition.
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Publication Details
(The World & I Online) |
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The World & I Online is a
comprehensive academic resource that encompasses a broad range of
articles by scholars and experts in the areas of Global Studies,
Liberal Arts, Fine & Applied Arts, General Science, and Spanish.
Originally published monthly in print as The World & I, our site
includes the complete contents since 1986 and continues to publish
a new issue online each month. |
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