The Phenomenon of Water Grabbing
Hi and welcome back!
For this week's blog, I shall be looking at the concept of 'water grabbing', its key drivers and the implications that this process has.
What is 'Water Grabbing'?
It is important to first define the concept of water grabbing. Quoted from Franco et al (2013:1653), water grabbing is:
'the process in which powerful players are able to take control of, or reallocate for their own benefit, water resources used by local communities of which feed aquatic systems on which their livelihoods are based'
This idea of water grabbing therefore refers to the 'appropriation of water and the control of their associated uses and benefits', with this transfer predominantly being from poor, disenfranchised communities to 'powerful actors' (Mehta et al, 2012: 195). It is important to consider that the nature of water also has implications in terms of how it is both allocated and distributed, as well as on the possible connotations water grabbing can have (Mehta et al, 2012). In many ways, it is about who possesses the power to make decisions surrounding water, including 'the power to decide how and for what purposes water resources are used now and in the future' (Franco et al, 2014:3). In recent times, it has often become highlighted that both 'land grabbing' and 'water grabbing' are two ideas that are 'deeply intertwined' and that it is 'difficult, if not impossible, to grab land without grabbing water, and vice versa' (Franco et al, 2014: 13). The map above showcases global water grabbing data. It is evident that the African continent has considerable water grabbing taking place. Ethiopia is one country which has experienced the consequences of water grabbing. I shall be discussing this later on in the blog.
Water is a resource which is 'fluid in nature' as it 'flows, does not stay in one place, and at the same time is a renewable resource in most places' (Mehta et al, 2012:197). For these reasons, the availability of water as a resource varies depending on 'space and time' (Mehta et al, 2012:197). For a river like the Nile, which flows through numerous nations, the manner in which water is used in upstream areas will consequently have implications for those living in downstream areas. As Franco et al (2014: 30) points out, such river systems 'do not respect international boundaries' and the 'water grabbing and extraction, diversion or pollution of water resources' in a country such as Sudan can have negative implications for countries which are further downstream, such as Egypt, in terms of the 'availability and quality' of water. As mentioned in previous blogs, there has been conflict between Egypt and Ethiopia in recent times due to Ethiopia's decision to install the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which Egypt feel will limit the availability of water within the country. It therefore becomes apparent how closely water and politics are intertwined within such issues. As Mehta et al (2012: 202) point out, water grabbing, in many cases, 'concerns the diversion and consumption of (large amounts of) water which then is no longer available for downstream use'.
The Drivers of Water Grabbing
There are several key drivers for this phenomenon:
For this week's blog, I shall be looking at the concept of 'water grabbing', its key drivers and the implications that this process has.
What is 'Water Grabbing'?
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| A map showing global water grabbing rates (Sputnik News, 2017) |
It is important to first define the concept of water grabbing. Quoted from Franco et al (2013:1653), water grabbing is:
'the process in which powerful players are able to take control of, or reallocate for their own benefit, water resources used by local communities of which feed aquatic systems on which their livelihoods are based'
This idea of water grabbing therefore refers to the 'appropriation of water and the control of their associated uses and benefits', with this transfer predominantly being from poor, disenfranchised communities to 'powerful actors' (Mehta et al, 2012: 195). It is important to consider that the nature of water also has implications in terms of how it is both allocated and distributed, as well as on the possible connotations water grabbing can have (Mehta et al, 2012). In many ways, it is about who possesses the power to make decisions surrounding water, including 'the power to decide how and for what purposes water resources are used now and in the future' (Franco et al, 2014:3). In recent times, it has often become highlighted that both 'land grabbing' and 'water grabbing' are two ideas that are 'deeply intertwined' and that it is 'difficult, if not impossible, to grab land without grabbing water, and vice versa' (Franco et al, 2014: 13). The map above showcases global water grabbing data. It is evident that the African continent has considerable water grabbing taking place. Ethiopia is one country which has experienced the consequences of water grabbing. I shall be discussing this later on in the blog.
Water is a resource which is 'fluid in nature' as it 'flows, does not stay in one place, and at the same time is a renewable resource in most places' (Mehta et al, 2012:197). For these reasons, the availability of water as a resource varies depending on 'space and time' (Mehta et al, 2012:197). For a river like the Nile, which flows through numerous nations, the manner in which water is used in upstream areas will consequently have implications for those living in downstream areas. As Franco et al (2014: 30) points out, such river systems 'do not respect international boundaries' and the 'water grabbing and extraction, diversion or pollution of water resources' in a country such as Sudan can have negative implications for countries which are further downstream, such as Egypt, in terms of the 'availability and quality' of water. As mentioned in previous blogs, there has been conflict between Egypt and Ethiopia in recent times due to Ethiopia's decision to install the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which Egypt feel will limit the availability of water within the country. It therefore becomes apparent how closely water and politics are intertwined within such issues. As Mehta et al (2012: 202) point out, water grabbing, in many cases, 'concerns the diversion and consumption of (large amounts of) water which then is no longer available for downstream use'.
The Drivers of Water Grabbing
There are several key drivers for this phenomenon:
- There have been 'changing patterns in global food markets' which have consequently led to 'a renewed interest in acquiring land and water resources for agricultural production' (Franco et al, 2014: 10).
- The fact that the price of oil is increasing, together with worries that we are at the point of 'peak oil', has meant that there is a greater demand for agrofuels which use 'large amounts of water throughout the production cycle' (Franco et al, 2014:10).
- There has been an ever-growing 'demand for raw materials' which 'underpins the continued expansion of the extractive industries and large-scale mining projects' (Franco et al, 2014:10). More specifically, new technologies 'such as hydraulic fracturing' have significantly threatened a reduction in water resources (Franco et al, 2014:10).
- Within developing countries, poor and disenfranchised communities have had a lack of access to water due to 'the market-based management of water' and, in particular, the 'privatisation of water systems and services' (Franco et al, 2014:10).
- The 'financialisation of water - including water utilities, infrastructures as well as the resource itself' is another driver for water grabbing (Franco et al, 2014:10).
The Case of Ethiopia
By delving into Ethiopia, we can further understand how water grabbing takes place and the consequences it can have. The Alwero river, located in the Gambella region of the country, is a major fishing and farming spot for 'indigenous Anuak people' (Grain, 2012). Thousands of these people rely on this river for their livelihoods. A plantation at the time, owned by 'Saudi-based billionaire Mohammed al-Amoudi', utilised water from the Alwero river for irrigation purposes (Grain, 2012). This act of water grabbing, the use of water in order to irrigate al-Amoudi's plantation, meant that the indigenous Anuak people were being 'undermined' with regards to their access to water (Grain, 2012). In 2012, tensions that arose due to water grabbing led to an 'armed group ambushing Al-Amoudi's Saudi Star Development Company operations, leaving five people dead'. (Grain, 2012).
Over the past decade, there has been an evident trend with regards to companies, such as Saudi Star, buying hectares of land in the African continent in order to 'produce food to ship back home'. Saudi Star itself was 'one of the biggest commercial farms in Ethiopia' prior to the company buying an extra four thousand hectares of land from the Ethiopian government (Ingebretsen, 2017: 95). Neil Crowder, a CEO of Chayton Africa, asserts in an interview that 'the value is not in the land', rather, 'the real value is in water' (Vimeo; Grain, 2012). The African continent is abundant in terms of water resources - Ethiopia is often referenced as the 'water tower of Africa'. It is often proclaimed that Africa has significant water resources which are 'under-utilised and ready to be harnessed for export-oriented agriculture projects' (Grain, 2012). The problem with an increasing amount of land grabbing taking place in Ethiopia, which as mentioned before, is intertwined with water grabbing, is the fact that these land deals means that significant populations are being 'robbed of their access to water' (Grain, 2012). As mentioned in previous blogs, for many of these African countries, both the management and the accessibility to water resources are already a concern which have been increased due to climate change. This is further being exacerbated by water and land grabbing by powerful actors, such as al-Amoudi's Saudi Star company in Ethiopia.
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