Water and the poor
RAMASWAMY R. IYER
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Argument that water is central to any programme that has the objective of reducing poverty
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POVERTY AND WATER – Explorations of the Reciprocal Relationship: Ed. by David Hemson, Kassim Kulindwa, Haakon Lein and Adolfo Mascarenhas; Zed Books, London, and International Social Science Council, Books for Change, 139, Richmond Road, Bangalore-560025. Rs.375.
This book has emerged out of International Social Science Council’s comparative research programme on poverty, but it is focussed on water. It thus brings together two major themes, namely poverty and water, and establishes a relationship between them. If one may venture a semantic comment, the title seems to suggest a conceptual or philosophical thesis, whereas the connection referred to is a practical and economic one. Perhaps “Water and the Poor” would
have been a better title. Be that as it may, the relationship posited is twofold: the poor lack adequate access to water and the absence of water in turn means not merely an inadequacy of a basic life-need but also a constraint on livelihoods and on the generation of income. Inadequate and unequal access to water is thus both a result and a cause of poverty. This is what is meant by the term “reciprocal relationship” in the title. It follows – and this is the important argument of the book – that water is central to any programme for the reduction of poverty.
Water and poverty
The relationship is expounded at some length in the first chapter, “Water and Poverty: the Inextricable Link”, by Kassim Kulindwa and Haakon Lein. It is then explored with reference to development in several countries in Africa (South Africa, Nigeria, Tanzania). Somewhat surprisingly, one non-African country figures in the book: Bangladesh. Within the scope of this review it is not possible to give an account of the contents of the various chapters, but it can be said that they offer a rich and varied illustrations of the relationship that is the subject of the book. To mention only one case, it is interesting that despite the existence of a constitutional declaration of the right to water in South Africa and a National Water Act which enjoys international esteem as an enlightened law, the vestiges of the Apartheid days still remain in the form of a lack of confidence or sense of inferiority (“shame”), as well as a distrust of the government, on the part of the poor. Again, the chapter on Bangladesh by Haakon Lein, taking a somewhat maverick line, argues that the Green Revolution approach and private water markets, generally much criticised, were good for the poor in Bangladesh because the resulting agricultural growth has led to a reduction in poverty. However, the chapter later admits that this has led to an unsustainable exploitation of groundwater.
New realism
Special mention needs to be made of the second chapter, “Water for All: From Firm Promises to New Realism”, by David Hemson. It is a broad survey of developments over the years, from an early period of promises of water for all to a progressive lowering of sights to more “realistic” goals. It traces the growth of neo-liberal economic thinking, shifting responsibility from the state to the market, using the language of “participation” to transfer the burden on to the users themselves (including the poor), advocating a change from “supply-side” to “demand-driven” approaches (“demand” meaning “effective demand”, i.e., that of those who can pay, thus marginalising the poor), and treating water increasingly as an economic good needing proper pricing (“full cost recovery”) rather than as a basic need and right.
Right to water
However, the chapter ends on a modestly optimistic note, pointing out that there is at least greater recognition of the importance of water, and expressing the hope that the Second U.N. Water Decade (2005-15) will see an acceleration of the slow progress made so far.
Similarly, the last chapter, “Conclusion: Water for the Poor Pays”, by Adolfo Mascarenhas also criticises neo-liberal economic thinking (privatisation and so on) sharply but concludes on a hopeful note. It takes note of a diversity of views among the contributors to the book but nevertheless draws the conclusion that a “positive intervention to ensure the basic right to water is overwhelmingly worthwhile.” It places reliance on “an increase in the demands and militancy of civic organizations coupled with governments that are answerable to the people” for making water available to many more poor people. It hopes that the reality of climate change and the need for urgent and radical action may be the turning point.
It cannot be said that the thinking found in those two chapters (second and 10) is representative of the book as a whole. The authors of some of the other chapters seem quite comfortable with the currently fashionable language of water markets, water as a commodity, full cost recovery, private sector participation, and so on. The attempt in the final chapter to find a consensus is not wholly persuasive. However, diversity is to be expected in a book like this and is a merit rather than a defect. The book provides much useful material for reflection. One wishes that it had covered a few other countries. However, what it offers is valuable and one is grateful.
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