Global Activists To Protest Water Privatization at Istanbul Conference

Interview with Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food and Water Watch, conducted by Scott Harris

As the world's supply of fresh, potable water declines, multinational corporations around the world have moved to acquire and privatize municipal water supplies in the quest for profit. While big water companies like Bechtel, German energy conglomerate RWE and French-based Vivendi and Suez, argue that privately-owned water utilities lead to greater economic efficiency and stabilize rates, critics maintain that water privatization has been a disaster in terms of declining water quality and unaffordable rates which limit community access.

In Cochabamba, Bolivia, skyrocketing rate hikes on water -- which followed the privatization of water resources by Bechtel -- led to a violent water rebellion in 2000 that forced the government to cancel the contract and turn over management of the water system back to the community.

When the corporate-sponsored fifth World Water Forum convenes in Istanbul, Turkey from March 16 through 22, an international coalition of activists will be present to protest the Forum's stance on water privatization and defend access to water as a universal human right. Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food and Water Watch, part of the coalition of groups that will be present in Istanbul. Hauter talks about the failure of water privatization and the campaign to draft an international treaty that will limit the exploitation of water as a for-profit commodity.

Contact Food and Water Watch at (202) 683-2500, or visit their website at www.foodandwaterwatch.org

http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/

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"Between The Lines" is a half-hour syndicated radio news magazine that each week features a summary of under-reported news stories and interviews with activists and journalists who offer progressive perspectives on international, national and regional political, economic and social issues. Because "Between The Lines" is independent of all publications, media networks or political parties, we are able to bring a diversity of voices to the airwaves generally ignored or marginalized by the major media. For more information on this week's topics and to check out our text archive listing topics and guests presented in previous programs visit: http://www.btlonline.org

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