Category: Social Conscience

Water in Malawi - the SDG targets 100% water access by 2030

UNICEF on MDG SDG and WASH

Global Water Crisis

Water is a massive issue, with commentators suggesting it could cause more conflicts than even oil has.  Whereas there are alternatives for fuel, there is no alternative to water, and for that reason alone we should all be very concerned with global and local water issues.

UNICEF and Development Goals

Water and Environment Senior Advisor at UNICEF, Cecilia Scharp, has been a key player in ensuring a stronger focus on water and sanitation issues for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) – policy that will shape global development for at least the next 15 years.

These much anticipated goals – with the focus on sustainability – supersede the UN’s Millennium Development Goals (MDG) which covered the period between 2000 and 2015 and had a water target of reducing by half the number of people without safe water access.  That target, while achieved several years before the 2015 deadline, still leaves over 650 million people globally with no safe water access.

We asked Cecilia what was different this time around.

“The new Goal 6 is focusing on the whole water cycle, and for the two water and sanitation targets we’re talking about universal access; that is everyone is going to be covered everywhere.

“It also states that the targets should be affordable, sustainable, safe. There were lots of adjectives added that gives us the opportunity to work more broadly with the sector overall, and that for us is key.

“Previously in the MDG agenda there was a call to target only the population without access to water and sanitation, and if you look at the real purpose of having global goals it would be to drive an agenda, to drive policy, and for water and sanitation I believe those targets have made a real difference.  We were able to carry out a global monitoring, we could get more money to the sector, and more focus in countries for delivery of drinking water. The problem was though we did not necessarily reach to the most marginalised and vulnerable people.

Water in Niger- SDG ©UNICEF/2016/Niger/Ashley Gilbertson

©UNICEF/2016/Niger/Ashley Gilbertson

Sustainable Water Access

“But access is just access – unless you have the management systems, government systems, institutions, internal capacity, etc – this access is not sustainable.  So really the target is to drive innovation to monitor services in real time – to ensure they are better managed, more sustainable – and providers are held accountable by the people who use their services.”

Sounds simple enough right – the target of reaching 100% of the world’s population with sustainable water access? As Cecilia explained, the ‘devil is in the detail’. The targets are being translated into indicators for ongoing measurement to determine success levels around ‘safely managed water and sanitation’ addressing issues such as the length of time taken to collect water.

“There wasn’t a uniform definition previously on what access actually meant and it was up to the governments to decide what it meant. Now there is a growing consensus on a definition that talks about a 30 minute round trip including queuing and doing [filling containers] so it shouldn’t take more than 30 minutes for family to collect the water they need for the day.

“There a lot of things embedded in the indicators that we are fighting for the moment to really push the broader agenda and I think that will make a difference for us.  The other issue now is there are targets on hygiene, water quality and waste water management, so that’s another area that wasn’t at all addressed [in the MDGs].

“We know most countries release waste water directly into the environment without treatment. So there will be a push for understanding water quality broadly at the water point, at home when you drink it and now also- at the resource level, so for us that’s hugely important.”

From MDG to SDG

The water targets do go much deeper into society than on the previous set of goals, which the UN admits were constructed by ‘a group of experts behind closed doors’, whereas the sustainable development goals involved the 193 member states and ‘unprecedented participation of civil society and other stakeholders’.

Goal 6 of the 17 SDGs is to: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. And it comes with a number of proposed targets that also consider ecosystems, and water resources management, wastewater and pollution, and water use efficiency, alongside the water and sanitation issues.

While she may have preferred a more explicit link to health and education, Cecilia is pretty happy with the targets and says she wouldn’t have incorporated any additional focus on water at the expense of the 17 goals. Given the number of member states agreeing to the goals and the specific wording of the targets, it’s seen overall as a success.

But now the real test begins: “The challenge now is for the governments to take these goals, to make sustainable development strategies and to figure out how to implement them, and what this means in terms of financing and capacity developments, and institutional developments, technology, innovation etc.

“Now we have the goals we are struggling with the indicators, and that will be a very difficult process in itself because member states understand that this is where it starts to get real– and they need to show the global community that they can deliver.  That is why there will be a lot of political discussions in the coming months.

“I think previously we thought that developing the indicators was a technical task done by technical people, but now has become much more political and [member states] wants to have much more say and only ask UN agencies or other expert groups for support when needed.  This could be a bit unfortunate because we now have member states who are driving in different directions and they will go back to their constituencies saying ‘OK what is it we can do?’”

Cecilia explains that member states have their own agenda based on whatever situations exist in their specific country and this can affect the development of indicators and monitoring.  “From the UNICEF perspective we have been the ones together with WHO that have been monitoring water and sanitation so we have the set up on how to monitor and collect data how to analyse and present data, so we felt we were in good shape to propose indicators. Now member states work on that themselves but we hope they build on what is suggested building on experience.”

SDG - ©UNICEF/2016/Malawi/Ashley Gilbertson

©UNICEF/2016/Malawi/Ashley Gilbertson

Universal Access to Water

So given all the work that has gone into researching, consulting, and agreeing the next 15 years of global development targets, is there any confidence on achieving the goal of universal access to water, as the MDGs had been criticised by some for failing to provide water access for the very poorest, rural communities?

“Certainly we are really happy we had achieved the Millennium Development Goal on water, but obviously the inequalities with this achievement are huge.  The main gains were in countries like India and China but not in West Africa for example. If the progress rate from 1990 to 2013 in West Africa was replicated up until 2030 – we would miss the new target of universal access by a long shot.  At the current rate of progress, we would only be able to reach 75% access to safe water in West Africa – which isn’t good enough.  Those remaining 25% represent some of the world’s poorest people – and they must a priority in the next 15 years.

“Many countries have done very well and now Ethiopia has achieved its millennium development goal for water which is great, fantastic, but there are many many countries particularly in south of the Sahara that would have a huge struggle if we continue at the same pace.”

While some may be wondering if the SDG targets have overstretched themselves in their optimism, Cecilia is positive but realistic: “The 2030 goals are very ambitious is good to have ambitious goals – that’s where everybody should strive for.

“Countries facing the challenges of climate change or experiencing other humanitarian situations and political turmoil will continue to struggle, so it’s going to be challenging to meet the 2030 targets. If we ‘only’ have 663 million people remaining it’s still a huge number living without access to safe water. But with the correct political will and investment, I believe we can get there”

In order to reach the goal for 100% access Cecilia believes something ‘really radical’ will need to happen. Given the seeming increased conflict in the Middle East with a crisis in Syria where water is a potential underlying cause of the conflict and has been used as an instrument in the war, this poses even more challenges for meeting the SDG on water and it will be interesting to see how the UN, and UNICEF in particular, deal with this.

For now, and for the aftermath of the 70th UN General Assembly held in September, it’s a moment to celebrate for Cecilia and her sector on the culmination of several years of negotiation and consultation.  The goals are ambitious but provide the broad agenda that manages to encapsulate many more facets of water and sanitation provision than ever before.

For more information visit https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/ or http://www.unicef.org/ or follow Unicef on twitter @unicefwater or facebook https://www.facebook.com/unicef

 



How secret trade negotiations are going to destroy the NHS among other things

 

Forget a referendum on Europe, there’s no way we’ll be allowed to leave the Union – but it will come at a perfect time for trans-national companies (TNCs) and US and EU governments who will likely be finalising the terms of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) under the radar and without any opportunity for our democratic input while we’re all distracted by the media attention on whether we should be in or out of Europe.

The basic premise for TTIP (an ironic acronym as the ‘tip’ is the best place for this trade agreement) is to allow the US and the EU to trade more freely without any of the current restrictions largely in place to protect us – think food standards, financial regulation (don’t laugh), and even democracy itself (according to journalist and campaigner George Monbiot).

Under the TTIP, the NHS will be privatised, there will be huge increases in GM food products from the US, and a relaxing of the stricter EU regulations on food standards such as the use of additives and pesticides.

Just as worryingly, there is scope under the agreement for private companies to sue the government if they believe they’ve been unfairly treated – for example if the UK government tries to return to the public the parts of the NHS that are already run by private companies.  This would mean TNCs having far more opportunity to affect government policies.

TTIP Trojan Horse

CC Image courtesy of greensefa on Flickr

David Cameron – you know, that one that for some unknown reason was elected into power earlier this year – has said the NHS is not under threat from TTIP yet he’s not removed it from the trade deal.  Economists have rejected claims from supporters of TTIP that it will benefit both US and EU working families.

Only last month the EU failed to ban 31 pesticides linked to cancer and male infertility following pressure from the US relating to the TTIP agreement.

There is pretty much nothing good about TTIP unless you are incredibly wealthy and you’re looking to get even richer while making more people suffer.

To find out more about the agreement and how you can get involved to support the opposition to this assault on our society then check out the following websites:

War on Want have a booklet you can download here

Online campaigning group 38 Degrees have a petition you can sign here

The Guardian newspaper have a dedicated section on TTIP here



Fashion Friendly Ethics

Alexander McQueen, Burberry, Stella McCartney and Victoria Beckham have similarities that are clear to the novice of all consumers. They are British designers, premium designers, influential and inspirational designers (the latter goes without saying).

There is something that is strikingly different about them though. One has an ethos that is so rare and rather admirable in an industry where leathers, skins and fur sell like hot cakes and resisting to take a slice of that due to being a vegetarian since being a child, is not only rare it is also dignified.

This designer is none other than Stella McCartney (of course). Not only has she stayed true to herself, she has introduced us to a world where eco doesn’t mean a limited choice of oatmeal-coloured t-shirts, denim you couldn’t be seen in or faux leather accessories you inconspicuously hide. No, quite the contrary, her runway shows each season, shown in Paris (everyone has a carbon footprint and through her own admittance they are not perfect) are coveted by editors, celebrities are pictured on and off the red carpet with her pieces and the beauty of it all is that the consumer and observer is not bombarded with the image of some ‘hippy’ with flower garlands on her hair. Rather, the Stella McCartney woman is strong and can rock a sexy panelled dress with no hint to suggest she is a “tree-hugger”.

In an industry where brands and personalities can “sell out”, it is clear that this is a direction Stella McCartney will not humour and this I believe, will sustain the brand and improve the steps taken to become better for mother nature and all inhabitants.

Now excuse me whilst I admire eco-friendly tailoring at its finest and devour Linda McCartney vegetarian sausages on a Wednesday evening- note it’s not a Monday.



The Search for Happiness

‘Happiness does not depend on what you have or who you are. It solely relies on what you think’- Buddha

Mental health is something I think some of us take for granted. Some of us don’t look after our bodies as well as we should, therefore putting our mental health at risk. Sometimes we can’t figure out why we are feeling so glum and run down, but usually it boils down to how well you look after yourself and how much time you take out for yourself just to relax. Although some of us are not necessarily suffering from depression, it is important to lead a healthy and happy lifestyle in order to prevent this. Unhealthy eating, lack of exercise, stressful jobs, lack of decent weather and many other things you wouldn’t even consider- contribute to having an effect on our moods, sometimes resulting in long term depression or periods of feeling down in the dumps.

It’s too easy to let day to day life cause anxieties and stress which results in unnecessary long term problems for us all. Although it may seem difficult, it is possible to get in to a mindset where you can control these unwanted thoughts.  Although, when you are not in the best frame of mind, it may seem like these thoughts are like quick sand and you are sinking further and further beneath. It’s important to realise that these thoughts can be controlled and believe that you have the ability to control them yourself.

I, myself have struggled with anxiety for the past few years- I regularly worried about what people thought of me, I often thought I wasn’t good enough for certain jobs or people, I obsessed over what I didn’t have instead of what I did have. The list was endless and I was a very unconfident person for a very long time. There came a point where I realised I couldn’t continue to live my life with this way of thinking anymore and knew it was about time I took control of my thought process, as this was the element that controlled my happiness.

I first took control by cutting out all negative attributes in my life. Anything at all that made me unhappy, I let go of. And although the thought of letting go of something you are used to may seem hard – it is difficult in the short term – it benefits you in the long term. Cutting out negativity can be as little as not eating as much junk food, not having as many cigarettes, or even skipping a night out on the booze to get your liver and your head a rest. Basically, it’s just cutting out or cutting down on things that you know are bad for you. The changes you can make can even be as big as cutting ties with an annoying friend, changing your job or taking up a new hobby.

Once cutting out the negativity, you automatically begin to feel better. You suddenly stop actively seeking happiness and realise that it is right there in front of you.

Another great way to improve your mental health or to keep away anxieties is to do yoga and/or meditation. Yoga involves breathing techniques and a wide range of bodily postures- one main reason why yoga is practiced is for relaxation and for the improvement of health. Yoga influences relaxation which helps lower the stress hormone ‘cortisol’. Yoga is a brilliant exercise that helps mind and body, as the breathing techniques used in yoga help slow down the heart rate and pulse, resulting in de-tensing muscles. Yoga can also help to improve sleep, help blood pressure, improve digestion, reduce fatigue, improve asthma, reduce insomnia, improve physical health/posture and beat depression. Yoga helps us focus on the current moment, helping people have a more positive outlook on life. Yoga isn’t time consuming- you can feel the difference just after a twenty minute workout.

The best way to start practising yoga is to become familiar with the poses from yoga books or videos (many clips can be found on YouTube). If practiced on a regular basis, you will remember the poses off the top of your head resulting in easier practise as you’re not trying to look at a book or a screen at the same time. I find now that I can practise yoga without having to watch or read anything which helps the practice to be a lot more peaceful and I can go at my own pace and work to my own abilities. The best way to practice yoga is to set the right environment by having dimly lit lights, incense/candles and calming music. Yoga mats, straps and foam pads will help certain poses also and help ease your body into adjusting to these poses.

Meditation is also a brilliant way to aid relaxation and help gain a better way of thinking- meditation trains the mind to clear and creates a better sense of well being. The result from gaining relaxation from meditating helps clear anxieties and stress. It is important to keep up a regular routine of meditation in order to keep a clear and healthy mind.

Meditating just five minutes every other day would help clear the mind and improve mental health, it can be done even just sitting at your desk in work or on the bus but of course you want to make sure you don’t get disturbed.

People are too quick to go to the doctors when they can feel life dragging them down, and personally I think doctors are too quick to prescribe anti-depressants. Of course in serious situations then this would the best thing to do. But I think it’s important, especially in younger people to see if you can overcome the shadows just by taking control of your own thoughts and your own happiness.

I’ve witnessed close friends and family overcome tough times just by putting their life in order and finding peace without having to go on any type of medication. The main thing is about having the belief that you can do it all by yourself- it is surprising just how powerful the mind can be. If you have the belief, patience, and the determination- you can achieve almost anything.

 

EDITORS NOTE:

Everybody is different and while it is possible for some people to regain control with the good practices detailed in this article, others are more seriously suffering with mental health issues and need medical support. If you feel that you need help for depression, feeling low or unwell then you can get help and advice at Mind http://www.mind.org.uk/

 



Bite the Ballot

After Russell Brand’s now infamous call for people to abstain from voting, the issue of whether the electorate should and will vote has become an increasingly prominent issue, especially in light of the recent Scottish Independence Referendum allowing 16 and 17 year-olds the vote, a move that may well be replicated across the UK at future elections.

On Thursday, May 7th 2015 the General Election will take place, but will we witness an ascent in the electoral turnout? Since the end of the Second World War in 1945, voter turnout was maintained between 70% and 85% for every General Election until Tony Blair’s second victory saw a sharp decrease to 59.36%, a figure that did rise again to 65.11% in 2010, probably as a result of uncertainty over the eventual outcome. However this figure still means nearly 35% are not exercising their freedom to vote. A contributing factor to the missing proportion of voters is disillusionment amongst today’s youth over who is representing them. Across several European countries we see a greater number of older citizens voting as opposed to younger people.

One organization that is resolving to engage and inspire younger people to connect with the democratic process is Bite the Ballot, an organization established in London but with an office in Birmingham. I spoke to Birmingham’s passionate Community Engagement Officer, Sawsan Bastawy, about the organization’s vision and general assessment on the relationship between young people and politics.

JB: What is the primary intent of BTB?

Sawsan: Bite the Ballot works to create spaces and opportunities for people aged 16-24 to empower themselves to participate in democracy. We work on a model of inspiration. Our challenge is to inspire people to inform themselves; inspire them to engage with the issues that they care about; and ultimately, empower them to take an active role in democracy. We don’t mention obligation or legality. We want people to participate in democracy with enthusiasm, not because they feel they have to. Fortunately for us, the inspiration model is vastly more successful, which is why it costs us 25p to register someone to vote, while it costs the government £25.

JB: Are people disengaged with politics, or is it just party politics they feel a lack of connection with?

Sawsan: People aren’t disengaged with politics. Politics is everywhere, and it affects everything. What people do not necessarily do is make the connection between democratic participation and their life. When people aged 16-24 give me reasons why they don’t see themselves voting in the future, it has more to do with a) consensus politics: “they all sound the same and say the same thing, except for that one party”; b) useless politics “what difference does it make who wins? Nothing will change- nothing ever does”; c) unrepresentative politics: “I know what I want, but I don’t like any of the parties”; d) inaccessible politics: “I don’t know anything about the parties.”

The responsibility, in all instances, is on the politicians and their parties to meet these people half way. At the moment, people aged 25 and under are standing at that meeting point waving their hands furiously, trying to get the attention of the policy-makers. If they aren’t willing to meet under-25’s, shake hands, and talk about their place in democracy, the younger generations will turn their back too. Of course they won’t make the connection between what’s going on in their day-to-day lives and the government. Of course they won’t feel that their democratic participation is valuable. This is where Bite the Ballot steps in.

JB: Recent election turnouts have been disappointing; do you feel that uncertainty regarding the 2015 result will spark a rise in the turnout?

Sawsan: Absolutely. The coming General Election will mark a change in history – we have two parties, the Green Party and UKIP, whose popularity is snowballing; a strong opposition party; and a coalition government. In addition, the momentum built by the Scottish Independence Referendum towards a revamp of a political system has introduced the idea that real and meaningful change is possible. This is a liberating and exciting time to participate in democracy and to use your vote.

JB: What effect does what is happening globally impact younger generations here in the UK?

Sawsan: Global events impact UK youth immensely. Whether it’s concern over ISIS; TTIP; or global economic security and whether it affects our ability to enter the workforce; we are very much aware of the impact that events on the other side of the world have on our lives. More than this, however, we are seeing movements, youth-led movements, all over the world. From the Arab Spring to the student movement in Mexico, to the Umbrella Revolution in Hong Kong- the status quo is changing. People are reclaiming power and our actions- and our votes matter.

 

At the core of their drive to attract more young people into participating with the democratic process, Bite the Ballot, are taking part in National Voter Registration Day on Thursday, February 5th 2015. To find out more about this and the work Bite the Ballot do there are a variety of contact links down below:

Twitter: @bitetheballot or @bitebrum

www.bitetheballot.co.uk

Phone: 0203 609 3510

And for Sawsan, you can email her at Birmingham@bitetheballot.co.uk



Bring them home for Christmas

Christmas is a time of year we associate with family. Adverts depict families cosily gathered around log fires, eating turkey and exchanging presents. For some, however, Christmas is a time of heartbreak.

In the U.K an estimated 250,000 men, women, and children go missing each year. Unless you’ve experienced this tragedy, it’s difficult to imagine the anguish suffered when someone in your family disappears without trace or explanation. The worry and uncertainty must be overwhelming.

This year the UK charity Missing People has launched a Christmas appeal called ‘Home for Christmas’. The campaign aims to fundraise and raise awareness with the ultimate goal being to find missing people and reunite them with their families for the festive period.

The Missing People’s Charity works in various capacities. They facilitate direct searches for the missing by organising search parties and liasing with authorities such as social services and the police. The charity also organises support for the families of missing people and hosts ‘Welcome Back’ interviews that enable those who have been missing to talk through their experiences, their feelings and any issues that may have led them to leave. The charity recruits volunteers and trains them for this purpose and operates on a professional basis.

Succeeding in finding missing people depends largely on raising awareness. Missing People is indebted to volunteers devoted to organising television and radio announcements and the distribution of flyers. Many contribute to this cause by hosting fundraising events and there have been many creative ideas such as greetings card stalls, carolling and Santa runs.

The website missingpeople.org.uk is the place to go for information and it is kept updated with photographs and details of missing persons so you can keep a look out. Just by being vigilant you could make an astounding difference and enable a family to be reunited this Christmas.



Climate March: What’s the fracking point?

An estimated 400,000 people marched in Manhattan, NYC, on September 21st 2014 marking the start of the 31st United Nations General Assembly – over a hundred of the world’s leaders coming together to discuss development issues, including climate change.

Climate March protesters New York 2014

Climate March protesters New York 2014

Seeing the streets around Times Square completely devoid of cars and people as we waited for the march to pass by was an eerie sight. Watching hundreds of thousands of people giving up their Sunday brunch to protest against pollution, greedy corporations, and to support maple syrup among other things, made you wonder what would ever change as a result.

The Climate March organisers say they need ‘everyone in order to change everything’. I think they’re right in that they need to change everything in order to make any significant improvements across the world.

The problem is the system. Fortune reports that “From 2009 to 2012, the top 1% incomes grew by 31.4% while the bottom 99% incomes grew a mere 0.4%” and the growing inequality will not disappear until we change the system that enables those at the top to exploit everyone else.

Governments in developed countries don’t make policy decisions, those decisions are made for them by faceless corporations lobbying politicians using vast sums of money as effective persuasion. And many of these companies end up benefitting to the tune of billions with corporate tax relief and subsidies – earlier this month Aditya Chakrabortty at the Guardian estimated a total of £85bn in corporate welfare.

In 2012 Amazon was paid more by the Government in subsidies than it paid in tax – meaning you and I actually paid Amazon to run their business in the UK. And the most successful rail franchise happens to be the only publicly owned one, with East Coast paying more to the treasury in one year than Virgin paid in 15.

There’s a whole other article about this very issue but the point remains that while the government continues reducing the size and power of the state through continued privatisation (the NHS is next) it makes it less relevant to protest to politicians and more appropriate to protest to the corporations that actually make the rules.

Jon McClure, lead singer from Reverend and the Makers said in an interview with Artmuso that people are making their own protests through the choices they make and what they decide to consume. If we believe this to be true there could be a very powerful movement based on encouraging people to make particular choices for maximum effect.

For example, asking everyone to stop using petrol is not practical, but if we all stopped using one particular supplier, such as BP, we would force that company to consider its approach. Same goes with avoiding say Primark, but buying from charity shops or saving up for quality products from ethical producers as Anna Rohwer discusses in Artmuso.

What has this got to do with climate change and the September marches? Unless we change everything, and that means the fundamental basis of our current capitalist system that rewards corporations at the expense of the everyman; we won’t change anything.

Regardless of how many marches take place and how many hundreds of thousands of people participate, we will never see the reduction of inequality, the improvement of our climate, and significant change, until we oust the greed and corruption that poisons every corner of the globe.

The multinational corporations that cause wide-scale pollution will continue unabated, and unconcerned, and the politicians beholden to those faceless entities will only ever make small policy changes to keep us quiet and the money-makers happy.

You want to change the climate? Then you’ll need to change everything.

Get involved:

38 Degrees

People’s Climate

 



Ofwat: the regulatory farce

We live in a liberal market economy, a free, capitalist world where companies are able to compete with each other resulting in market forces that drive down cost to consumers by creating efficiencies in the system and processes of providing that service or product.

Sounds great huh? Except, have you ever tried to switch water suppliers in the UK? It’s not possible (unless you’re a very large business of course). In our free market economy there exists multiple regional monopolies on water provision. This means you don’t get a choice, you can’t pick the cheapest, or the one with the best service. You get what you’re given and if you don’t like it then you’ll need to move several counties away.

Not only that but our beloved water regulator (the one that the taxpayer funds) Ofwat, doesn’t appear to have much of an appetite for regulation. Earlier this year the Observer newspaper acquired data from the Environment Agency under the Freedom of Information Act that showed more than 1,000 pollution incidents committed by the 10 biggest water companies over nine years resulted in only £3.5m in fines with two thirds of the incidents simply resulting in a caution.

This means an average fine of just £10,800 for multiple and persistent disregard of the regulations, and the environment, for example, United Utilities allowed sewage to pour into Cumbria’s river Keekle on 22 occasions in 2012. All the while the water companies are making huge profits and paying billions in dividends to shareholders but next to nothing in tax.

Water companies don’t have to repair leakages if they can demonstrate it would cost them more to repair than the cost of the environmental damage caused by the leak (a pretty large grey area in my opinion). Ofwat provides a ‘leakage allowance’ to water companies that barely changed across the five years of 2009-14 in the last price review. The staggering total of 3.24 billion litres PER DAY is allowed to leak out of our pipes without the water companies having to lift a finger.

Things are no better in America as a report by the Center for Neighborhood Technology in 2013 showed 2.1 trillion gallons of water wasted annually as a result of leaking, crumbling infrastructure – that’s around 9.5 trillion in litres, enough to put Manhattan under 298 feet of water.

Ofwat is currently working out how much to let the water companies in the UK increase their prices by over the next five years from 2015 as part of its regular price review – last year prices increased by 3.5% so well above the rate of inflation and average salary increases.

Rather disturbingly, despite the price review occurring every five years, the Ofwat senior management team failed to budget for its cost and as a result the Treasury handed them a budget of £29.375million of taxpayers money, of which at least £6.45million will be paid to private financial firm PricewaterhouseCoopers as it was deemed Ofwat did not have the expertise and resources to conduct the price review internally.

Furthermore, the Chairman of the Board at Ofwat claimed £16,651 of taxpayer’s money towards the costs of a flat in London, as detailed in the 2013-14 annual report, without authorisation from HM Treasury. He did subsequently repay the money received for the flat but it leaves a pretty nasty taste in the mouth – much like the water out the taps.

The wonderful irony with Ofwat is that their webpage on ‘transparency and data’ leads you to a completely blank page. How much more transparent could you get? http://www.ofwat.gov.uk/aboutofwat/transparency/

 

NB: Duncan from waterstink.com has kindly provided some updated information for this blog.  Namely that Ofwat is actually funded by a direct levy on water companies (who have been lobbying to reduce this levy) although the whole funding issue is rather opaque.

Ofwat as the economic regulator does not get involved in fines related to environmental matters – although this line can be blurred.

Finally, Ofwat’s current price settlement means a real terms cut in water prices (only the second time this has happened since privatisation) although the last time it happened water companies cut costs by scaling back R&D and innovation and operational costs such as maintenance.

Thanks to Duncan – you can read his blogs at waterstink.com



Social Conscience

At Artmuso we think it’s important for people to know more about the bigger issues that are happening all around us every day but that for many reasons, often go under-reported.  As Freeq magazine we brought you articles on ethical fashion, aid working in Sudan, democracy in the Maldives, climate change and many more as well as partnering with local and international charities to raise awareness of their work.

If you know of an issue that’s important to you and that you want more people to understand then get in touch and we’ll look into it.