Transcript belem_water_presentation

Ecological debt and common goods: for the peoples'
recovery of control over natural resources
water Resources and climate
change in MENA region
28 January 2009 – WSF - BELEM
Organizations : CADTM – ATTAC
Aquatic Resources and climate change
in MENA region
I
• Introduction
II
• Water resources in MENA
III
• Climate change in MENA
IV
• Liberal reforms
V
• Recommendations
MENA ZONE ?
 18 countries from Morocco in northwest Africa to Iran in
southwest Asia
 The population of the MENA region is about 6% of the
total world population
 Oil is the main natural resource of the region with 70%
of the world (8 of the 12 countries of OPEC are in the
MENA region).
MENA region : Limited Water resources
The Mena region is the world's poorest in
renewable resources
MENA region : Limited Water resources
 Existing water resources have declined to one third
of its level in 1960 and will be halved by 2050 if current
consumption trends continue
 Many countries are already experiencing a situation
of acute shortage (less than 500m3/year/capita) such as
Yemen, Jordan, Libya, Algeria, Palestine
 In Saudi Arabia more than 75% of resources are
fossil water, non-renewable
MENA region : Growing demand
The MENA countries consume nearly 80% of the water
they have
MENA region : Growing demand
 Agriculture is the main consumer of water (85% as
regional average with extremes such as Syria and Yemen
with respectively 90 and 95%)
 Unequal distribution while most local users have only
15 liters per day to drink and treat food and hygiene (the
proper amount is 50 liters), tourists staying at five-star
hotels allow themselves the luxury of wasting up to 1200
liters.
Water in occupied territories Palestine
Of 50 violent incidents related to the water in the
world these last 50 years, almost 30 have been between
Israel and one of these neighbours
Already in 1989, 90% of the lands occupied by Israeli
settlers in the West Bank Gasa are irrigated against
only 2.5% of land belonging to Palestinian farmers.
100% of Israeli settlements are connected to water
and sanitation, while that percentage barely exceeds
50% among Palestinians.
Climate Change in the MENA region and impact
on water resources
 Increase in annual average temperature will reach 2 to
2.5 °C by 2100.
 Sea level is expected to rise in many coastal towns.
Bahrain will likely loose 5% to 10% of the total area of
the country.
 Because of climate change annual average of
precipitation will decrease significantly in Mena region
reaching between 10 to 20%. In Morocco, Saudi Arabia,
Yemen and Emirates the decrease is expected to be 30
to 40 %.
 Warmer water will have also impact on biodiversity
with higher salinity of surface especially in lakes,
reservoirs and dams.
Climate Change in the MENA region and impact
on water resources
MENA is one of the most vulnerable region to climate
change
MENA region is the least polluting in the world with
only 4.5% of GHG emission
GHG emissions are linked to 84% for oil activities.
 Poor MENA countries which owes financial debt to the
developed countries are major creditors in terms of
ecological debt (carbon debt)
The liberal answer to the question of water
demand
liberal postulate :
"Water is a scarce and it will be scarcer
in the coming years and only the
market knows how to manage the
scarcity" !!
The liberal answer to the question of water
demand
Morocco is shown as best example by
WB; he embraced privatisation of the
water sector far more than other
countries in the region
The experience of over-privatization of
water services experienced by Morocco
in the last decade shows the total failure
of this approach in meeting the needs of
populations in water and sanitation
Moroccan experience of water service
privatisation
Under the pressing of the IMF and the World Bank, Morocco in 1997
adopted the French model of delegated management of water distribution:
four concessions appeared successively in 1997 (Lydec group SuezOndéo Casablanca), 1998 (Redal with a Luso-Spanish consortium, taken
by Veolia in 2003 in Rabat) and 2002 (Amendis group Véolia in Tangier and
Tetouan).
60%
Part of drinking water delegated to private operators in Morocco
50%
50%
42%
40%
30%
28%
% of private
operators
20%
10%
0%
0%
1996
1997
1998
2005
Moroccan experience of water service
privatisation
Government officials and liberal defender preaching
the merits of this operation on many levels technical area
( financial returns universal access and connectivity
for drinking water create Job Opportunities…)
the promised “advantages” :
some exterior makeup operations
prices and water bills in those cities increase
rapidly
Veolia align the prices with tangers ones witch
were higher.
social water connections have declined
significantly because of the expensive cost (1800
Euros)
Moroccan experience of water service
privatisation
The soaring price of the water bill and power was in large
measure to the origin of the movement of large
demonstration against the high cost of living experienced
throughout Morocco since late 2006
Several sit-ins were sometimes spontaneously organized
on the front of Veolia & Lydec agencies with slogans hostile
to both multinational and asking them to leave the country.
Moroccan experience of water service
privatisation
Main contract violations in the Lydec-Suez case :
• Deprive many people of their right of access to water
(beneficiaries did not exceed 11 465 during the first five years
instead of 45 miles )
• Investment gap (between 1997 to 2006) to 2.8 billion dirhams
compared with a contractual investment.
•Convert profits convincing technical services in the form of
exaggerated exceeded 775 million dirhams through a special
company to “Lydec Service” created specifically for this purpose
•Distribution of profits estimated at 460 million dirhams during
the years 2003-2005, without respecting the requirements of the
contract which stipulates that the distribution of Genet will be
only 10 years later.
•Lydec has not fulfilled its commitments vis-à-vis 1000 workers!
Many of them were forced to leave the company (start "voluntary"
or unfair dismissal).
Moroccan experience of water service
privatisation
Privatization of Atlas water
source: the case of
“BENSMIM”
Privatization of agriculture
irrigation services: the case of
“Sebt alguerdanne”
Recommandations
Recognize the right of access to water with enough
quantity and quality as a basic human right
Achieve a deep reform of water policy in MENA by
linking political and economic choices (tourism,
patterns of farming, industry) to the available volume of
water resources
Regulation of water management and arbitrate
between the different areas agriculture, industrial,
drinking water, recreation and tourism ... and not leave
the market to decide according to the most telling ...!
01/04/2016
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01/04/2016
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