Water Efficiency Resource Library Now Available

The Alliance for Water Efficiency, a U.S. organization that promotes the efficient and sustainable use of water, has announced the formal launch of a comprehensive web-based Water Efficiency Resource Library, in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, who is a major partner and funder of the program.

Water Efficiency Resource Library

Calculate Your Water Footprint on Earth Day

This Earth Day, calculate your "Water Footprint" to better understand the large volumes of freshwater used to produce the good and services we use everyday.

Calculate your individual or country's water footprint

The Emerging Water Crisis in the U.S.

Water Nearly all regions of the U.S. are facing challenges related to water. It's time to redesign our water system, writes IATP's Shiney Varghese in a new commentary.

The Emerging Water Crisis in the U.S. Commentary | Mar 24 | PDF

2008: Intl Year of Sanitation

Sanitation is vital for human health. It contributes to dignity and social development, and generates economic benefits. It is also a human right and helps the environment. In recognition of its importance to achieving the Millenium Development Goals, the United Nations has declared 2008 the International Year of Sanitation.

UN Year of Sanitation

Global Biofuels and Water

Global biofuel development is often occuring in areas with scarce water resources. In a new paper, IATP's Shiney Varghese looks at the potential effects of biofuel development on water quantity and quality.

Biofuels and Global Water Challenges Report | Oct 25 | PDF

Privatizing U.S. Water

A number of local governments in the U.S. have turned to privatized water systems. In a new report and interactive map, IATP looks at the impact of water privatization in the U.S.

Privatizing U.S. Water PDF
U.S. water privatization map

Water Remunicipalization

Water A major trend has emerged as more and more communities insist on returning water and wastewater services to public management through remunicipalization, forcing water multinationals to pull out of services in Latin America, the United States, Africa and Europe.

Water remunicipalization tracker

Water, Food and Gender

Irrigation-intensive agriculture aggravates the growing water crisis. IATP's Shiney Varghese writes about how this affects women and food sovereignty. Sustainable agriculture may be key to addressing the crisis.

Water Crisis and Food Sovereignty from a Gender Perspective PDF

Ethanol and Water

Water With biofuel production skyrocketing, water use at U.S. ethanol plants could increase 254 percent from 1998 to 2008. A paper by IATP dissects what could be the ethanol boom's Achilles' heel.

Water Use by Ethanol Plants: Potential Challenges Report | PDF
Greater Water Efficiency Crucial for Ethanolâ€™s Future Press release | Oct 26 | PDF

U.S. Drought Monitor

The U.S. Drought Monitor integrates many types of data into a single map each week showing drought's location and intensity. Drought trackers look at climate and water data, satellite imagery, and reported impacts.

U.S. Draught Portal

Better Water Use in the Great Lakes Basin

Great Lakes agriculture is among the most diverse and valuable in the country. IATP has worked to improve awareness of agriculture's impact on water availability and promote water conservation on farms.

Agriculture in the Great Lakes Basin IATP Environment and Agriculture Program

Dialogue on Climate Change Adaptation for Land and Water Management

Jun 11, 2008
The objective of the Policy Dialogue Process is to improve resilience to climate change in Developing Countries. Current development trends, including rapidly growing populations, growing mega-cities, and increased demand for food and energy, lead to increased pressure on land and water resources, which are further exacerbated by the impact of climate changes. Download

Food, Water and Climate Challenges

May 8, 2008
It is time for us to get serious about understanding the way climate change affects water resources for food production and conversely the way agricultural water use is leading to climate change. Download

S.A: High Court Judgment on Mazibuko v City of Johannesburg -

Apr 30, 2008
In a ground-breaking judgment - the first in which the constitutional right to water has explicitly been raised - Judge MP Toska criticised the municipality for its discriminatory approach to the provision of water. The Judge found that: "the underlying basis for the introduction of prepayment meters seems to me to be credit control. If this is true, I am unable to understand why this credit control measure is only suitable in the historically poor black areas and not the historically rich white areas. Bad payers cannot be described in terms of colour or geographical area." Download

The Emerging Water Crisis in the U.S.

Mar 24, 2008
I am amazed: since last summer, almost every day we see at least one news story on another water crisis in the U.S. Download

Revisiting Privatizatio, foreign investment, arbitration and water

Feb 5, 2008
Abstract: A subject relevant to the governance of water resources and public services is the effect that international trade and investment agreements may have on national capacities to manage natural resources and to regulate public services. As a consequence of globalization, many public services are provided and water rights held by companies within foreign investment protection systems or special conflict resolution regimes, which means that external jurisdictions can intervene in local matters. These agreements, which override national laws, restrict the power of governments to act in the public interest and in that of local communities. The region has yet to assess the consequences that international investment agreements may have on the conomic, social and environmental sustainability and efficiency of natural resources utilization and provision of public services. Such an assessment is necessary when formulating public policies, adopting natural resources legislation and regulatory frameworks for public services, granting water rights and wastewater discharge permits, and entering into contracts related to economic activities in which water is an input or end product. This paper is a first step in this direction. It summarizes the main issues raised by Mann (2006), Hantke-Domas (2005) and Barraguirre (2005), and at the same time expands on some of them. This study also draws on the research done by Agua Sustentable of Bolivia, the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada, the Water Law and Indigenous Rights (WALIR) project (ECLAC/The Netherlands, University of Wageningen), and the Forum for Democracy and Trade of the United States. Download

More water documents

Jan. 6: Obama's Chance For a Blue Legacy Washington Post

Dec. 10: Four Billion Litres a Year: Tar Sands’ Toxic Leakage Digital Journal

Dec. 10: World's corals reefs are vanishing, report says CNN

Dec. 9: Polluted tar sands ponds leaking, report indicates Globe and Mail

Dec. 8: Wildbirds Impacted by Extraction of Tar-Sands Petroleum All News

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