World Bank Suggested Solution Generated Cochabamba’s Water War
The Major Cities Water Supply and Sewerage Rehabilitation project was implemented in Bolivia from 1990 to 1997 and it was funded by the International Development Association (OED, 2002), a financial organization that together with other four organizations comprises the World Bank Group (The Levin Institute).
According to the World Bank project website, the project “includes priority investments in the three major urban centers of Bolivia and includes studies for improving management of the water sector country-wide.” (World Bank, 1990). The three cities that were included in this project were Santa Cruz, La Paz and Cochabamba. (World Bank, 1990)
Problems occurred mainly in the city of Cochabamba due to a World Bank condition to privatize the water services in exchange of Bolivia being able to borrow more money from the World Bank or the IMF (Public Citizen, 1998). When the service was privatized, the cost “increased by 200-300 percent in many cases” (Public Citizen, 1998). Bolivia is one of the poorest countries in South America, and with prices so high, few people could access one of the most basic and natural resources: water. This problematic started what was famously known as the …show more content…
To ensure that, there should be very strict regulations that should be followed by all members of the IMF and World Bank. It is crucial for representatives of all nations to commit to that cause and ensure that no parts are having benefits while taking advantages of poorer nations. Following the Global Goals without personal or national interest, acting with awareness of differences in economic realities, with the only purpose of providing benefits to the nation that requested help, is in my opinion a very valid route to
The Major Cities Water Supply and Sewerage Rehabilitation project was implemented in Bolivia from 1990 to 1997 and it was funded by the International Development Association (OED, 2002), a financial organization that together with other four organizations comprises the World Bank Group (The Levin Institute).
According to the World Bank project website, the project “includes priority investments in the three major urban centers of Bolivia and includes studies for improving management of the water sector country-wide.” (World Bank, 1990). The three cities that were included in this project were Santa Cruz, La Paz and Cochabamba. (World Bank, 1990)
Problems occurred mainly in the city of Cochabamba due to a World Bank condition to privatize the water services in exchange of Bolivia being able to borrow more money from the World Bank or the IMF (Public Citizen, 1998). When the service was privatized, the cost “increased by 200-300 percent in many cases” (Public Citizen, 1998). Bolivia is one of the poorest countries in South America, and with prices so high, few people could access one of the most basic and natural resources: water. This problematic started what was famously known as the …show more content…
To ensure that, there should be very strict regulations that should be followed by all members of the IMF and World Bank. It is crucial for representatives of all nations to commit to that cause and ensure that no parts are having benefits while taking advantages of poorer nations. Following the Global Goals without personal or national interest, acting with awareness of differences in economic realities, with the only purpose of providing benefits to the nation that requested help, is in my opinion a very valid route to