Fresh Water

As Sandra Postel of Worldwatch pointed out several years ago, water would be one of the major sources of conflict in the future.  With the lack of access to fresh water  increasingly a problem for the poor as well as many of the more affluent countries, this issue will demand attention at the World Summit.

US government: views & policy

• EPA Office of Water
• EPA estimates the cost of clean water (August 3, 2001)
• What is AID doing about water scarcity? US Agency for International Development
• Dept of State on water scarcity and desertification (Presentation at conference on "Breaking the Links Between Land Degradation, Food Insecurity, and Water Scarcity," June 20, 2001)

US civil society commentary

• Industry and freshwater (NGO Caucus on Fresh Water, 20 April-1 May, 1998)
• CitNet Working Group on Fresh Water 
• The right to water (The Water Observatory, a project of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy.
• National Wildlife Federation on water
• NRDC on clean water and oceans (National Resources Defence Council)
• Freshwater Initiative (Nature Conservancy)
• American Rivers
• The River Network
• Environmental Defense

US business & industry commentary

• Industry and fresh water (Paper by International Chamber of Commerce and World Busienss Council on Sustainable Development, for CSD6, 20 April-1 May, 1998)

Other views & links

• Trade unions on freshwater (CSD, 6th Session, 20 April-1 May, 1998)
• World Water Forum
• International Conference on Freshwater 2001

United Nations documents

• Strategic approaches to fresh water  (Report of the UNCSD Secretary General, Commission on Sustainable Development, 6th Session, 20 April-1 May 1998)
• Expert group report on fresh water management (Report of the Expert Group Meeting on Strategic Approaches to Freshwater Management, Harare, 27-30 January 1998)