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Water and sanitation

Clean water and sanitation – recently recognised by the United Nations as basic human rights – are critical to good health. They help prevent disease. Yet billions of people have no ready access to safe water. It is an essential service that governments must provide to protect their citizens and serve their common good. Read more here

Mauritius public sector unions launch national campaign against water privatisation

27 September 2016
Mauritius against water privatisation

PSI affiliates in Mauritius launch joint campaign following announcements by the Public Utilities Minister that privatisation of the Central Water Authority was unavoidable and, more recently, that water rates will be increased. The increase could be as high as 20-30% according to some reports.

PSI addresses UN/World Bank high level panel on water

12 September 2016

PSI emphasizes benefits of public water operation, need for tax justice to fund public services at UN High Level Panel on Water.

PSI at the Stockholm World Water Week

27 August 2016
Stockholm WWWeek

PSI Deputy General Secretary David Boys is invited to speak on two panels at the 2016 Stockholm Water Week.

In Lagos, groups demand halt to planned water privatisation

28 July 2016
Photo: Sani Baba

Civil society, community-based groups and unionists supported by Public Services International have petitioned the House of Assembly, asking it to step on the brakes on plans by the Lagos State government to embark on a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model of water privatisation.

Tell the World Bank to stop promoting water privatization

16 June 2016
Photo: Kate Holt - Africa Practice - Creative Commons
PSI is working with a number of allies to put pressure on the World Bank to stop promoting water privatization under the disguise of public private partnerships (PPPs). Send a letter to the World Bank Executive Director representing your country asking that the World Bank end all support for water privatization!

The road to Quito: workers and decent employment must be at the heart of the New Global Agenda!

06 June 2016
H III

The countdown for Habitat III - the UN conference that is expected to set out the new guidelines for urban policies - has begun. The ‘United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development ’ – as it is officially called - will take place in Quito, Ecuador, 17 – 20 October 2016.

Global Water Justice Movement Challenges World Bank's attempt to promote privatization of water through UN SDG Agenda

22 April 2016
Meera Karunananthan speaks at the UN

A letter was sent on 22 April to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon by water justice organizations from around the world expressing deep concerns about a new “high-level” panel convened by the World Bank at the United Nations focusing on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goal on water and sanitation. 

Protecting workers and promoting social development in Brazil

12 March 2012

The objective of this study is to show that the FGTS has successfully provided resources to compensate workers for unjustified dismissal and other adverse circumstances and thereby promoted social

Financing water and sanitation: public realities

12 March 2012

This research publication by the Public Services International Research Unit reveals that the private sector investments in water and sanitation have been negligible, whether in OECD or in developi

Utterly Uncompetitive: the homelands of eternal water privatisation

10 March 2012

This new report from the Public Services International Research Unit shows that private companies delivering water and sanitation services enjoy and abuse monopoly positions. Examines situation in France, Spain and the UK to demonstrate serious distortions practiced by these companies

Water, electricity and the political context in Arab countries 2011

22 November 2011

This report examines the electricity and water sectors in North African and Middle Eastern countries. It consists of three sections. The first section examines the political, economic and global context as of September 2011. The second section examines the water sector. The third section examines the electricity sector.

Tags: 
Energy
Water and sanitation
Electricity

The past, present and future of finance for investment in water systems

20 November 2011

This paper presents empirical evidence on the historical relative use of public and private finance for investment in water and sanitation systems in developed countries, evidence on the relative use of public and private finance and aid in developing countries, and evidence on the likely impact of the economic crisis.

Replacing failed private water contracts

18 November 2011

This paper sets out a global overview of trends in the public and private presence in the water sector, to help assess the options facing cities which still have problematic private water contracts, such as Jakarta.

Annual Report 2010

05 April 2011

In the face of widening cuts to public services and attacks on the rights of public sector workers around the world, leaders of private and public sector trade unions, municipal governments and civil society groups made the unprecedented joint commitment to work together to promote investment in quality public services backed by fair taxation policies as the key solution to the economic crisis, and the best way to build peaceful, equitable, democratic and environmentally-sustainable societies.