Today is World Water Day so it seems a good time to raise concern that 1.1billion people across the world do not have access to clean drinking water.
Although the United Nations has set targets to halve this number by 2015, the UK Government is backing the European Union's push for water supply to be included in the negotiations on the General Agreement on Trade in Services.
UN targets will be undermined as more power would be given to big water companies. The global market is worth £480billion and water companies are keen to get a big slice of the cake. Raising prices sky high, they turn water into a luxury the poor can't afford.
The World Development Movement believes that water is a source of life, not a source of profit. If you agree, I urge you to write to your MP, asking them to press the Government to pull the plug on water being included in the GATS and to persuade other EU members to do the same. For more information on GATS go to www.wdm.org.uk or contact the Swindon Branch of WDM on 704154.
Kate Nash
Secretary of World Development Movement (Swindon Branch)
Taw Hill
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