Alternatives to Privatisation: The Power of Participation

While many of the world’s public-owned water utilities operate effectively, others have become bureaucratic and out touch with the populations which they are supposed to serve. Neoliberal elites use this as an argument for privatisation and other forms of corporate-controlled water management, while ignoring that there are dynamic, alternative models of publicly-owned water supply. Participatory and co-operative models deliver impressive results by ensuring that water utilities are accountable and responsive to the needs of the population.