Water Privatization

What is water privatization? Water privatization is defined by FEW Resources as, “the water sector that involves transferring some or all of the assets or operations of public water systems into private hands.” Water privatization is becoming a global trend.  Water privatization is the controlling and maintaining of water systems through private companies. Partnerships between the public and private sectors have advanced over the last 25 years. Within these partnerships both the public sectors and private sectors share the rewards and risks that come with operating the water systems. There is a lot of controversy surrounding the idea of water privatization. One of the main questions that people have is where is their water coming from?

There are many problems that come with privatizing water. One major problem with water privatization is that it has led to the decrease in immediate access to water. This leads to further complications, lower income individuals will not have the funds for water because the prices continuously rise. When private companies take away the public access of water that people have always known to have it adds to the controversy. Lower income communities and developing countries that privatize there water has the risk of leading to water shortages throughout the areas. This creates a severe impact because the privatization of water prices increase and is not as accessible, whereas public water did not come with as high of a cost. Furthermore, with the lack of access to public water, it can have multiple effects on individual’s health. When people do not have the means to afford water they find alternative sources in which they can find water. Most of these alternative water sources are heavily contaminated. People all over the world in developed and developing countries are facing problems with water being privatized. Another reason why people oppose the privatization of water is that privatization leads to a loss of jobs within the communities of the water system plants. The loss in jobs comes from companies trying to use methods in which minimize the cost and create an increase in profits. Layoffs are both bad for the individuals losing their jobs but also the people consuming the water. Privatization is also very hard to reverse. When the government who is in charge of public water gives the water system to private companies they have signed an agreement and a plan in which they hope to see for the water within their counties. Once two parties have agreed to the writing of the contract it is very difficult and very costly to get out of. Also, both parties are very powerful. Privatization also leads to rate increases. These large private organizations are all about making profit, and are usually less efficient at getting the water out to consumers.

There are also positives that come from privatizing water. Water privatization advocates that private companies must continue to comply with federal and local regulations on water and safety. When the government hands over the controlling and maintaining of the water to private companies, the financing is extremely expensive for these private companies. Private companies are not capable of applying for tax free bonds.  Another positive that comes from privatizing water is that it reduces public sector risks. This is because one the transfer has been made from public sector to private sector it reduces the amount of workers compensation risk. 

https://www.citizen.org/documents/Top10-ReasonsToOpposeWaterPrivatization.pdf

http://www.fewresources.org/water-privatization-and-global-prospecting.html

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-water-privatization.htm

Dead Zones

What are dead zones in the ocean? Dead zones are also more commonly known as hypoxia, these are regions where the oxygen concentrations are low in the water. Dead zones are areas in the ocean of such low oxygen concentration that animal life suffocates and ends up either eventually dying or the habitat living in that area leave. The low oxygen is caused by an interaction between biological, chemical and physical factors. According to a study conducted by the Smithsonian climate change is likely to make existing dead zones worse, “Warmer water holds less oxygen, and the researchers found that 94 percent of the world’s dead zones are in areas expected to see a temperature rise of 2 degrees Celsius or more by the end of the century.”  There are many causes that can lead to dead zones in large bodies of water. One major cause is an increase in chemical nutrients in the water that lead to excessive blooms of algae that deplete underwater oxygen levels. The primary chemicals that are responsible are nitrogen and phosphorus from agricultural runoff. Also, sewage, vehicular and industrial emissions are factors that can play a role in the overall development of dead zones.  Sewage causes many dead zones within Africa and South America. Engineers have been working on sewage facilities for years and are finding ways to alleviate the sewage going into the dead zones. Airborne nitrogen contributes to these areas because when vehicles and power plants burn fossil fuels, they emit large amounts of nitrogen into the air. The particles set into the waterways and eventually make it to the oceans.

Dead zones occur all over the world in both fresh water and saltwater systems, but, are primarily seen around areas with heavy agricultural and industrial activity that end up spilling nutrients into the water and compromise its quality. However, some dead zones can also occur naturally. The most commonly known marine dead zones are found in the Gulf of Mexico, the Baltic Sea, the Black Sea, off the coast of Oregon, and in the Chesapeake Bay.   The largest dead zones within the United States are in the Gulf of Mexico and off the coast of Oregon. There are two major reasons for the density of the dead zones along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. The first reason is that there is a large amount of people within the area, as well as many animals and farms to feed them. The second reason is that there are not many rivers draining into the Pacific Ocean. This means that with fewer rivers carrying the runoff, fewer dead zones form.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration also referred to as NOAA it is said that “dead zones are a major water quality issue with an estimated total of more than 550 occurring annually worldwide.”  The impacts of dead zones have a pretty negative effect on our ecosystems. The one major impact is the mortality of marine organisms including fish and their food base, there are high losses of the bottom of the ocean dwelling plants and animals. With this information it can be said that there is than a reduction in the number of species that these habitats were once able to care for. Another impact is that dead zones cause a disruption of fish spawning and migration. According to Sea Web “impacts have accrued from fisheries especially the extreme levels of bycatch and the damage to seabed habitats.”

http://www.onearth.org/earthwire/devil-deep-blue-sea

http://www.teachoceanscience.net/teaching_resources/education_modules/dead_zones/learn_about/

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/ocean-dead-zones/

http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2015/080415-gulf-of-mexico-dead-zone-above-average.html

Aquaculture

What is aquaculture? Aquaculture is also known as farming fish, it is the breeding, rearing and harvesting of plants and animals in all types of water environments.  These aquatic environments include ponds, rivers, lakes and the ocean. Aquaculture producers are framing a variety of freshwater and marine species of fish, shellfish and plants. Aquaculture includes the production of seafood from the fish and shellfish that are grown to market size in ponds, tanks, cages or raceways. “Stock restoration or enhancement is a form of aquaculture in which hatchery fish and shellfish are released into the wild to rebuild wild populations or coastal habitats such as oyster reefs.”  One type of aquaculture is marine aquaculture. Marine aquaculture is the culturing of species that live in the ocean. Marine aquaculture primarily produces oysters, clams, mussels, shrimp, and salmon. This type of aquaculture can take place in the ocean, in cages on the seafloor or suspended in the water, it can also take place on land with manmade systems such as tanks. Another type of aquaculture is freshwater aquaculture. Freshwater aquaculture produces species that are native to rivers, lakes and streams. This type of aquaculture is dominated by catfish but also produces other fish such as tilapia, bass and trout. Aquaculture is one of the fastest growing food production systems in the world, “eighty five percent of the world’s marine stocks are either fully exploited or overfished, and driving accelerated growth in the farmed seafood industry.”  Farmed seafood provides an answer to increasing demand for protein sources as the world’s population continues to grow. The rapid expansion of aquaculture industry comes with many negative impacts. One of the first impacts is the excessive use of chemicals. The chemicals uses in these fisheries are antibiotics, and pesticides, and even the use of banned chemicals. These can ultimately have unintended consequences for both marine organisms and the health of humans.  Aquaculture also has an effect on the loss of biodiversity. Chemicals and excess nutrients from food and feces associated with aquaculture farms can disturb the flora and fauna on the ocean bottom. Another impact is the risk of disease and parasites. Aquaculture can lead to viruses and parasites that transfer between farmed and wild species as well as among farmed species present a risk to the wild population, as well as other farms. Aquaculture also impacts nutrient pollution and carrying capacity. Excess food and fish waste increase the levels of nutrients in the water and have the potential to lead to oxygen deprived waters that stress aquatic life.

Aquaculture production in the United States, marine aquaculture in the United States contributes to seafood supply, supports commercial fisheries, restores habitat and at risk species, and maintains economic activity in coastal communities. Aquaculture is a tool for habitat and species restoration. The United States is a minor aquaculture producer. However, the United States is the leading global importer of fish and fishery products. Ninety-one percent of the seafood that we consume originated overseas and of that amount almost half is from aquaculture.  Although the United States is a small producer, we are a major player in global aquaculture. The United States supplies a variety of advanced technology, feed and equipment to other producers around the world.

Aquaculture outside of the United States, global aquaculture is dominated by Asia which is accountable for 89%. China stands alone within Asia and is accountable for sixty-two percent. Many countries invest heavily in aquaculture.  “According to the 2012 United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization report on The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture, the United States ranks 15^th in total aquaculture production behind China, India, Viet Nam, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Norway, Thailand, Egypt, Chile, Myanmar, Philippines, Brazil, Japan and South Korea.”

http://www.scienceclarified.com/Al-As/Aquaculture.html

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/aquaculture/what_is_aquaculture.html

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/aquaculture/aquaculture_in_us.html

Is water a human right?

Is water a human right? This is a question that many debate on a daily basis. According to The World Health Organization “the content of the right to water may be generally defined as a right to access to water of sufficient cleanliness and in sufficient quantities to meet individual needs.” The right to water must be sufficient enough to meet basic human needs such as drinking, bathing, cleaning, cooking and sanitation. Personal and domestic uses of water account for less than ten percent of the total amount of water used in human activities, although essential uses require a significantly lower percentage.  One aspect of water rights is affordability and accessibility. In many places in the world people do not have immediate accessibility to water, normally the women and sometimes the children walk for hours to fetch water daily. Retrieving water on a daily basis from the nearest water source most of the time is contaminated but it is the only water that they have access to. Water is not equally distributed, leading to insufficient access. Lack of distribution networks, working systems to extract groundwater or harvest rainwater and, in some cases, exclusion from these services or facilities limit the extent of peoples access to water. With affordability, if fees are prohibitive that poor households must sacrifice other essential rights, such as education, health services or food, they will then have to use contaminated water which means individuals within that household are not enjoying their right to adequate water. According to the United Nations General Assembly in 2010 they recognized the human right to water and sanitation and acknowledged that clean drinking water and sanitation are essential to the realization of all human rights. Another aspect is the water being safe; meaning the water required for each personal or domestic use must be safe, therefore free from micro-organisms, chemical substances and radiological hazards that constitute a threat to an individual’s personal health. One more aspect is that the water has to be acceptable, water should be of an acceptable color, odor and taste for each personal or domestic use. All water facilities and services must be culturally appropriate and sensitive to gender, lifestyle and privacy requirements.

In my opinion I believe that water should be a basic human right that everyone should have access to. I believe that having access to safe drinking water is central in living a healthy lifestyle. I see water as one of the most important necessities to every human being, not being able to have immediate access causes many obstacles.  People of lower income households or individuals living in developing countries do not have the funds to afford it, so they find alternative water sources that are most likely contaminated. Contaminated water leads to a multitude of diseases that can ultimately end in death. I think that if we recognize the amount of people in the world that does not have access to safe drinking water it should be a wakeup call. Having the accessibility to clean water can reduce a lot of the problems that our world is facing. Therefore that is why I believe that water should now and always be recognized as a basic human right.

 http://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/human_right_to_water.shtml

 http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/humanrights/en/index2.html

 http://www.righttowater.info/right-to-water/