Africa: Dirty Aid, Dirty Water

The UK Government is using taxpayers' money in a push to privatise water and sanitation in some of the world's poorest countries, says a new report from the World Development Movement. The report says millions of pounds of aid have been spent employing consultants, often UK companies, to 'advise' developing country governments to hand management of their water to foreign companies.

Despite the documented costs of privatisation to the poor, the UK is leading international efforts to create mechanisms to fund privatisation consultants. "Aid money for the much needed restructuring of water and sanitation provision in poor countries is then only forthcoming if the consultant's privatisation plan is accepted," says WDM. WDM says while there is an urgent need for reforms so that people across the developing world have access to water and sanitation, the debate is over how this could be best achieved. "'Plan A' of donor governments and institutions – water and sanitation privatisation – is failing and will continue to do so for a number of fundamental reasons."

* Compiled from the report by Pambazuka News.