PSD Blog - The World Bank Group

Corruption in the water sector

Transparency International has just released its annual corruption report, and this year's focus is on corruption in the water sector. Undoubtedly, the 398-page tome will draw a lot of attention to what Transparency International makes clear is a crisis:

In developing countries, about 80 per cent of health problems can be linked back to inadequate water and sanitation, claiming the lives of nearly 1.8 million children every year and leading to the loss of an estimated 443 million school days for the children who suffer from water-related ailments.

Paying for it

There's no doubt that access to clean water is a major problem in developing countries. According to the latest data from the World Development Indicators, only 56 percent of the population of Sub-Saharan Africa has access to an improved water source. Tyler Cowen, an economics professor at George Mason University, proposes what he calls a radical solution in a recent opinion piece in Forbes entitled Pay for It:

The solution for the poorer parts of the Third World is deregulation of the market for piped water, combined with the enforcement of property rights. Yes, I'm saying that Third World governments should consider letting private companies sell water at any price...And no, I don't mean a water concession with a price regulated by the government, I mean true laissez faire in water supply.

Waste: don't just take it away

Born out of a failed methane experiment comes a water-treatment system that uses 90 percent less energy than conventional sewage system and cost 50 percent less to operate. Dean Cameron – the creator of the Biolytix Water – harnessed worms, beetles and billions of microscopic organisms to turn human waste into water suitable for irrigation.

The low cost (a small version for four people could cost $175) and its minimal energy use hold a promise for 2.5 billion people around the world who can't afford proper sanitation. So far there are 3000 biotanks installed in homes and businesses across the Pacific.

Very, very dirty

From the Blacksmith Institute comes the list of the Dirty Thirty – the world's most polluted places. The top 10 spots are mostly industry towns with little viable economic options for its citizens

Conservation gets a second life

If, like most of us, you didn't have a chance to see a panda in the wild, you might want to try this: WWF's Conservation Island - a virtual presence in Second Life. It doesn't quite beat the real thing, but it's fun to walk around the island surrounded by pandas and an (seemingly oversized?) orangutan.

WWF hopes that "Second Life residents will become a community that helps [them] build and develop the island and at the same time learn about conservation in a fun, engaging and interactive way." It's yet another example of the development world adopting web 2.0 technologies.

Perhaps not as engaging, though very useful, is the recently launched World Water tool from the WBCSD. Based on Google Earth, it allows companies to mash water use in their operations and supply chains with datasets of water-stressed areas to estimate their "water risk." It's a useful reminder that water scarcity is an important risk factor for private sector investments.

Designs for the bottom of the pyramid

Find out what makes the Q-Drum, the Lifestraw, the MoneyMaker Hip Pump and the Big Boda Bicycle suitable inventions for 90 percent of the world's population.

In a video, the philanthropist and entrepreneur Paul Polack explains why it's better to sell these items than to give them away.

Everyday life in Aceh: happiness is a full Bak Mandi

When the first drops of rain began to fall, I felt a powerful surge of joy. Our house had not had water in two days, and we were running short. Our well was dry, and not a drop of city water came through the pipes. In vain, my housemates and I turned the pump on, hoping for something. But the taps remained dry and we were beginning to panic.

Water is a serious issue in Aceh, in spite of abundant water available in the province. A lot of the water comes from wells, including water in our office. I can't say I'm a fan of well water – it's usually greenish, and sometimes has a strong sulfur smell (at least I hope its sulfur) and high bacteria counts.

For that reason, my housemates are fans of collecting rainwater. We have large tubs which we place at strategic points around the house when it rains. Rain runs off the roof and we can collect a lot of it when we have a good tropical storm. Rainwater is crystal clear, and tests show that it's safe to drink. There is city water, some of the time. Our house is at the end of the street, so city water rarely makes it all the way to us. According to a friend working in the water sector, over 90 percent of water from the treatment plant disappears before the water reaches the city.

The 2,400 liter hamburger

Did you know that it takes 2,400 liters of water to produce a hamburger? This is revealed in a new initiative from the International Business Leaders Forum to address the emerging global water crisis. It focuses on firms' "water footprint" and claims managing water is part and parcel of managing business risks. There is reputational risk, of not being a good local partner, and the parallel risk of simply running out of water due to poor demand-side management generally.

Business should be a catalyst for adopting water-saving technologies, or processes, not only for good profit-sense but for good neighbor-sense.

Coca-Cola in water: giving back

See the announcement about USAID and Coca-Cola investing directly in nine new water projects in Africa. The Global Environment & Technology Foundation (GETF) is assisting them in implementation. This type of bilateral government - business - NGO arrangement (which cuts out the World Bank Group, by the way) is the type of engagement we love to see. Why?

Well, one reason is that the gap between overseas development assistance (ODA) and developing countries' needs is huge, especially in terms of meeting the Millennium Development objectives, resulting in unprecedented opportunities for private sector to step in.

Secondly, rerouting private sector profits, as well as their local-level business expertise, into developing countries should always be encouraged.

Thirdly, I always say, "let a thousand flowers bloom" in terms of testing different approaches to development partnership. The GETF has, as an NGO, been building bridges between the private sector and development agencies for a decade now, and they may just be the pollen needed to make this (relatively small) initiative successful. Any feedback from others about innovative partnerships in water projects?

Fighting waterborne disease

A new research paper finds that simple hand washing and point-of-use water treatment outperform traditional community-level water provision systems in preventing diarrheal diseases, which kill 2 million children in developing countries per year.

In Africa, where the poorest spend nearly $6 billion a year on drinking water, this growing market has attracted successful point-of-use and other purification models. A Madagascar sustainable local enterprise called Sur’Eau produces a water-sanitizing solution that effectively treats 20 liters – enough drinking water for a family for a day – for less than a penny. Procter & Gamble sells PuR, a dilute bleach product, that at a price of $0.10 per sachet purifies 2.5 gallons of water.