Geography HW 6

Using named examples, assess the role of different players and decision-makers in trying to secure a sustainable ‘water future’. [15]
The government plays a key role in trying to secure a sustainable water future. This is because it can invest in large scale projects such as the Chinese South-North project where the Chinese government plan to give the north a more sustained water supply. Governments can also subsides water projects, such as those done by IGOs in developing countries. However, it could be argued that government involvement in securing a sustainable water future may not be sustainable, as such big projects comes with its high costs which usually results in debts, which is not economically sustainable.
NGOs are another example of players who can seek to secure a sustainable water future. NGOs such as Water Aid provide sustainable water supplies to a more localised area on a smaller scale compared to governmental projects. NGOs like Water Aid in a sense are more sustainable, as the organisation usually educate locals on water hygiene and how to maintain watering pipes. This would mean there is no cost to the locals if the pipes were to break, as they can fix it themselves. However, providing access to clean water for the poor while not being able to tackle regulation issues like pollution which led to the contamination in the first place can result in a waste of efforts. This lack of oversight and management is one of the reasons why NGOs in the last 50 years have had mixed results.
More controversial players are water companies. The privatisation of water can indeed be controversial as many argue that water is essential to an everyday life and by privatising it, they are taking away a life essential and turning it into profits. An example of a water company would be Aguas Del Tunari, which controls the water in Bolivia. The increased private investment of Bolivia’s water supplies means that the government can increase spending on other sectors or