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Apr 01 2014 | Supplied or written by Olivier Petitjean |
As a condition for the Troika’s financial assistance, Greece has been forced to implement a set of drastic austerity measures, including the privatization of several state-owned companies. The public water utilities of Athens and Thessaloniki are among the targets. Both are profitable companies, which no one there wishes to see pass into private hands. But the Greek government and its creditors seem bent on imposing policy whose economic merits and democratic legitimacy seem rather dubious. A French company is especially active among the candidates for privatizing water in Athens and Thessaloniki: Suez Environnement.
This article was originally published in French. Translation: Egor Lazebnik.
read more Jul 17 2012 | Supplied or written by Places [at] Design Observer |
published by Places [at] Design Observerthe January 25 Egyptian Revolution was not just a revolution of the disenfranchised; it was also what some have called a “ Revolution of the Thirsty.” In a land almost without rain, the Nile River supplies 97 percent of renewable water resources, and these days an increasing share of that water is being directed to the posh suburban compounds — where many of Egypt's political elite lives — to support that "greener side of life." Meanwhile, in the years before the revolution, the state water utilities had dramatically hiked rates for residents in downtown Cairo, where some 40 percent of the population lives on less than $2 a day. read more Jun 10 2011 | Supplied or written by Webmaster |
Pambazuka (the pan-African newsletter) has released a special issue on WATER AND PRIVATISATION IN AFRICA. Pambazuka prepared this special issue in cooperation with RITIMO and Transnational Institute.
http://www.pambazuka.org/en/issue/533 read more May 31 2011 | Supplied or written by Irfan Zamzami and Nila Ardhianie |
This paper reports the issues occur to workers in the middle of Jakarta water privatization. There are at least three major issues. First, and the most problematic, is the workers’ status. The cooperation agreement seems intentionally left this problem into confusion and contradiction with other regulations, that now thousands of workers’ status is not clear whether working for the water utility or the concessionaires. Second, the basic salary of seconded employees that is too low and does not increase as regulated. Third, the peculiar pension policy that harms the retired workers’ financial security.
read more Apr 27 2011 | Supplied or written by AMRTA Institute |
10 mints Video
April 2011
Produced by Amrta Institute(Indonesia), support with Reclaiming Public Water Network
http://www.tni.org/multimedia/video-through-empty-tap-water-privatisation-jakarta
Water delivery services in Jakarta (Indonesia) were privatised in 1997, when the city-owned water company PAM Jaya made a cooperation agreement with two private companies: Suez (Palyja) and Thames (TPJ; now Aetra). More than a decade after that, its difficult to see that Jakarta water service improvement although it was expected when the privatization undertaken. This short film includes several testimonies from South, West and North Jakarta districts: 'Water does not flow but bills keep coming', 'we would buy water but would not be able to afford rice'
read more Oct 21 2010 | Supplied or written by Nila Ardhianie & Irfan Zamzami |
PAM Lyonnaise Jaya (Palyja) entered Jakarta water service as a private partner when the water utility PAM Jaya privatized its water service in June 6, 1997. It is now owned by a multinational corporation Suez Environment, Astratel, and Citigroup. Since then, Palyja has a sole right to serve the west part of Jakarta. More than a decade after that, it’s not hard to see that Jakarta water is not getting better as it was expected when the privatization undertaken. September 2010, produced by Amrte Institute for water Literacy and KRuHA-people's coalition for the rights to water read more Jun 22 2010 | Supplied or written by Globalization Monitor |
Globalization Monitor, April 2010
This report aims to identify the problems of Chinas current water supply sector reforms from a grassroots perspective and to present an overview of the issues caused by water privatization in Southern China.
download the whole publication: http://www.waterjustice.org/uploads/attachments/GM_Water_Book.pdf read more Feb 22 2010 | Supplied or written by CEO |
Aquiris is the name of a consortium that was created in 2001 by Veolia Environnement, the biggest water services corporation in the world, and other companies to bid for the building and operation of the North Brussels wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), a 1.2 billion contract. Prior to that, most of Brussels' wastewater was not treated but dumped raw in rivers, an option which is no longer acceptable under a 1991 EU Directive (91/271/EEC) concerning urban wastewater treatment which requires all European cities to treat their wastewater before disposal. read more Jan 31 2010 | Supplied or written by Andreas Lako and Nila Ardhianie |
In running the water service business, it is obvious that the private operators are more profit-oriented rather than actually improve their performance. It can be seen how they create an overpriced tariff to gain as high income as possible. This overpriced tariff caused the water utility suffers a shortfall, and more citizens are not able to afford piped-water. In addition, for financing operating activities, investment and financing, the private operator directors chose refinancing scheme by selling bonds or to be indebted to creditors. This practice drives the private operator to unethically claim that the bonds are used for improving the service, while they are actually for paying other long term debts.
read more Dec 03 2009 | Supplied or written by Nila Ardhianie |
In August 2007, the ADB‘s Board of Directors approved a loan facility to PALYJA (PT PAM Lyonnaise Jaya), a private water company in Jakarta, Indonesia. PALYJA has operated in Jakarta for more than ten years since they got sole concession right to manage the piped water supply in the western part of Jakarta. PALYJA shares are owned by some of the world-class companies such as SUEZ Environment and Citigroup. read more Jun 18 2009 | Supplied or written by Webmaster |
By Abdel-Mawla Ismail , October 2008
From the second half of 2007 till January 2008, Egypt has witnessed a wave of about 40 protests about the absence of basic rights with relation to drinking water. This shows that thirst protests or intifadas, as some people have called them, started to represent a new path for a social movement that accompanies protests to obtain bread.
read more Nov 07 2008 | Supplied or written by Xinjiang Conservation Fund |
October 2008
This is the English summary of 60 pages full report "Rethinking Chinas Urban Water Privatization" in Chinese written by Xinjiang Conservation Fund based in Beijing. Based on reviews of development of the urban water sector since 1949, data analysis and interpretation of 500 household surveys in five cities in China, this report aims at answering the following questions: What are the reasons for Chinas urban water privatization? What is the essence of Chinas marketization reform of public water? What are the impacts generated by this process? What are the preconditions for a successful and human-oriented urban public water reform? A full English report is being prepared. read more Nov 07 2008 | Supplied or written by Webmaster |
October 2008
Written by Xinjiang Conservation Fund based in Beijing. Based on reviews of development of the urban water sector since 1949, data analysis and interpretation of 500 household surveys in five cities in China, this report aims at answering the following questions: What are the reasons for Chinas urban water privatization? What is the essence of Chinas marketization reform of public water? What are the impacts generated by this process? What are the preconditions for a successful and human-oriented urban public water reform?
read more Aug 22 2008 | Supplied or written by Violeta Corral |
Ten years hence, Manila Water has stretched its wings and ventured into markets outside its concession, not only in the Philippines but also in the Asian region. International water companies have moved out or slowed down in Asia and the company has aggressive plans to fill in this gap and largely untapped market. Find more in the research paper written by Violeta Corral, Public Services International Research Unit (in Manila) Feb 19 2008 | Supplied or written by zakir kibria |
When the Delhi government decided to privatize the water infrastructure in the Indian capital in 2000, a strong resistance movement emerged. read more Dec 04 2007 | Supplied or written by Nami Yamamoto |
"Water Democracy: Reclaiming Public Water in Asia" is a compilation of 19 new essays written by civil society activists, trade unionists and@other water practitioners. The essays show that the privatization wave has far from come to a halt in Asia: from India and Indonesia to Japan and South Korea (where public water delivery has been very successful), neoliberal governments promote privatisation as the way forward. At the same time the essay collection also highlights a very different trend: democratisation and other progressive reforms of public water management are gaining ground in Asia, providing an attractive alternative to privatisation. Jul 03 2007 | Supplied or written by Patrick Bond |
The Mercury Eye on Civil Society column 3 July 2007 eThekwini: drought hits the poors by Orlean Naidoo, Dudu Khumalo and Patrick Bond Is Durban a model for South Africa and the world? In the field of water, some say yes. National Geographic magazine awarded chief water official Neil MacLeod global recognition a few years ago, and the city won South African recognition as best metro in 2006. read more Jun 29 2007 | Supplied or written by Bobet Corral |
NOTES:
* THE LOCAL UNION IN CEBU/MCWD -- MEU/AGWWAS -- HAD BEEN VERY ACTIVE IN ITS OPPOSITION OF THIS UNSOLICTED BOT PROJECT; AND SINCE ITS REJECTUON, HAVE HAD SOME SUCCESS IN ESPOUSING ALTERNATIVE SCHEMES/PUBLIC-PUBLIC PARTNERSHIPS' BETWEEN THE WATER UTILITY AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IN BULK WATER SUPPLY. NOW, ALL THESE EFFORTS WOULD BE FUTILE IF JAPAN GOVT FLEXES ITS ODA MUSCLE TO RAM THIS PROJECT DOWN THE THROAT OF LOCAL OFFICIALS. NEWSCLIP BELOW SAYS THAT MITSUBISHI COPR MADE THE FEASIBILITY STUDY OF THE PROJECT; THIS IS INCORRECT. IT WAS INTERNATIONAL FINANCE CORPORATION(IFC/WB) WHICH WROTE THE LARGELY BIASED STUDY; WE IMMEDIATELY CITED CONFLICT OF INTEREST AS IFC IS ONE OF THE SHAREHOLDERS OF THE PROPONENT'S (AYALA) MANILA WATER CO/MWC; MITSUBISHI IS ANOTHER MWC SHAREHOLDER. read more Jun 01 2007 | Supplied or written by Amrta Institute and Public Services International |
The process of Jakarta water privatization involved corruption and collusion, to exploit economic profit through the influence of political power. It is not surprising that later the private operators’ performance is not satisfactory. On the other hand, the contract is too advantageous for the private operators: it enables the private operators to gain high profit while being practically free from business risk, enables the performance standard to be flexibly adjusted, puts the water utility into termination trap, and causes prolonged problem of unclear workers’ status. If the current contract is continued, it harms the water utility, workers, and the citizen of Jakarta.
read more Mar 21 2007 | Supplied or written by Webmaster |
Author- Prabin Man Singh
Organisation - Collective Initiative for Research and Action (CIRA)
Article No:104, February 13, 2007
Published by the Society for the Study of Peace and Conflict (SSPC)
read more Feb 24 2007 | Supplied or written by KGEU |
Excerpt From Korean Government Employees Union (KGEU) Newsletter, Feb 2007
read more Feb 19 2007 | Supplied or written by World Development Movement |
Sep 30 2006 | Supplied or written by Webmaster |
By Witoon Permpongsacharoen
Foundation for Ecological Recovery
What we are facing in Thailand is not a water crisis but a crisis in the dominant system of water management (Editorial of Watershed Vol. 4 No. 2 TERRA, 1999).
The article includes the follwoing three case studies:
Case study 1: Chulaporn Dam
Case Study 2: Mae Lao Irrigation Improvement Project
Case Study 3: Pathumthani Waterworks Jun 16 2006 | Supplied or written by Thomas Fritz |
The Example of german Development Cooperation in Bolivia
May 2006 read more Mar 17 2005 | Supplied or written by Andreas Harsono |
The author analysis the historiy of RWE/Thames Water involvement in Jakarta and its impact an water supply in the Indonesian capital. read more Oct 19 2004 | Supplied or written by Lutfiyah Hanim, Yanuar Nugroho |
Written by Lutfiyah Hanim, The Institute for Global Justice and Yanuar Nugroho, The Business Watch Indonesia, September 2003. read more Sep 28 2004 | Supplied or written by Dale T. McKinley Sep 17 , 2004 |
by Dale T. McKinley. This draft chapter for the forthcoming book on alternatives to water privatisation outlines the overview of impacts of privatisation to people in South Africa. It includes also his vision and principals toward people-centered read more Jun 27 2004 | Supplied or written by aleksej scira |
Water Privatisation in Ghana: Activists Battle With Government and World Bank, Al-hassan Adam, National Coalition against Privatisation of Water - NCAP (November 2003) read more |
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