WATER SUPPLY: EVERY BODY'S BUSINESS OR PURELY BUSINESS? by Fardah

    Kyoto, March 26 (ANTARA) - "Water is every body's business - women and men alike, the poor as well as the rich," said many experts in different sessions at the Third Water Forum.    However, for water industry and corporations attending the Forum, water can be a real good business. Water used to be treated as free good. The argument that water should be treated purely as an economic good originated in Dublin conference, Ireland, 1992.

GORBACHEV: AKSI MILITER MELAWAN IRAK MERUPAKAN PUKULAN BAGI DEMOKRASI

     Kyoto, 22/3/2003 (ANTARA) - Mikhail Gorbachev, mantan presiden Uni Soviet, pada pembukaan pertemuan tingkat Menteri Forum Air Sedunia ke-3 di Kyoto, Sabtu, menegaskan bahwa serangan AS ke Irak merupakan pukulan bagi demokrasi dan bagi segala prinsip dan resolusi PBB. 

        "Kita harus menuntut dihentikan dengan segera cara-cara yang menggunakan aksi militer seperti itu," kata Gorbachev yang kini menjadi presiden Green Cross Internasional (Palang Hijau Internasional).

Atasi Krisis Air: Privatisasi atau Partisipasi Swasta? oleh Fardah

    Kyoto, 21/3/2003 (ANTARA) - Banyak istilah digunakan orang untuk menyebut fenomena tertentu. Mengenai serangan ke Irak misalnya, Presiden AS George Bush menyebutnya sebagai "Operasi Pembebasan Rakyat Irak", sementara pihak Irak menyebutnya sebagai "Invasi AS".
        Begitu juga dengan masalah pelayanan suplai air. Organisasi keuangan dunia dan perusahaan bisnis air menyebutnya sebagai "partisipasi sektor swasta", tapi pihak LSM menuduhnya sebagai langkah privatisasi perusahaan pelayanan suplai air.
      Sebagian besar masyarakat masih melihat air sebagai komoditi sosial yang harus bisa dinikmati secara cuma-cuma oleh setiap orang.

ADB CALLS FOR MORE INVESMENT IN WATER TO REDUCE POVERTY

     Kyoto, March 19, 2003 (ANTARA) - The potential of water investments as a tool for reducing poverty and building sustainable livelihoods has not been fully realized by many people, said Asian Development Bank President (ADB) President Tadao Chino when opening the "Water and Poverty" session at the 3rd World Water Forum in Kyoto, Wednesday.
        Chino urged delegates to focus pro-poor water investments for the rural poor in three main areas "water supply, sanitation and hygiene; water for production and sustainable livelihoods, including pro-poor irrigation, watershed, and ecosystem management; and the prevention and mitigation of water-related disasters.

Pronk: Globalisasi Sisihkan Orang Miskin dan Lingkungan

   Kyoto, 19/3/2003 (ANTARA) - Banyak janji-janji dan komitmen telah dibuat untuk membantu penduduk miskin dan mengurangi jumlah kemiskinan sejak puluhan tahun terakhir, tapi hingga kini janji-janji tersebut belum terwujud, menurut Jan Pronk, mantan menteri kerjasana pembangunan Belanda.
    "Janji tinggal janji! Globalisasi merupakan salah satu faktor penyebab gagalnya mewujudkan janji dan komitmen membantu penduduk miskin tersebut," tegas Jan Pronk dari Dewan Kerjasama Sanitasi dan Suplai Air pada pertemuan tentang "Air dan Kemiskinan" di Forum Air Sedunia ke-3, di Kyoto, Rabu.

World Needs Clean Water, Not War: PSI, Youth Water Forum

       Kyoto, March 18, 2003 (ANTARA) - Union leaders from around the world attending the Third World Water Forum (WWF) in Kyoto, expressed their outrage and deep concern Tuesday as discussion on how to ensure safe, clean water for all were torpedoed by the announcement by the US President George Bush that war against Iraq is imminent.
        A similar concerned was also voiced by young people attending the Kyoto's Yoth Water Forum. "Water, not war was the central issue today at Kyoto's Youth Forum held at the 3rd World Water Forum," said a statement issued by the Youth Forum in Kyoto Tuesday.