(Cochabamba, Bolivia): How is useful the water footprint indicator?” Carla Baldivieso Student International Master in Rural Development, UGent Gent, Belgium, 26th October 2018 INDEX • Water footprint in Bolivia • Water and history in Bolivia: Water war in Cochabamba, 2000 • River Rocha Basin in Cochabamba • Location • Problem • Water footprint in River Rocha Basin Water footprint in Bolivia Water footprint per capita in Bolivia Causes:
- Relatively low water productivities
of the livestock sector in the country. The per capita consumption of meat in Bolivia is 0.8 times the LAC average, but the WF per ton of meat is four times the LAC average.
Actual state of the measure:
- Only 2 of 9 departments in Bolivia have
information about the water footprint (La Paz, Santa Cruz) Water and history in Bolivia: Water war in Cochabamba, 2000 • Third largest city in Bolivia. • Series of protest that took place between December 1999 and April 2000 • In 1999, as a prerequisite to further loans, the World Bank insisted on privatization of Cochabamba’s water, using for this the concessionary Aguas del Tunari – USA´s Bechtel (multinational corporation), to privatize the city’s municipal water supply “Semapa” and even the collection of rain water. River Rocha Basin in Cochabamba •Location - 40% South America (8 countries), more than 30% Bolivia • Population 2012: 1 758 143 2012 (18% of national population) • Population density: 31,6 hab/km² • Rocha River goes trough 6 municipalities of the department (Sacaba, Cochabamba, Vinto, Quillacollo, Colcapirhua y Sipe Sipe) Problem General Contralory of the State (2012, 2018) Environmental Reports: • Contamination: • Domestic water • Industrial water • Lack of environmental licenses • Lack of treatment of domestic water … • Only 25% of recommendation of 2012 have been implemented until 2018
Interamerican Development Bank, 2013:
• 76 million liters of sewage are discharged into the river each year • 5,000 and 7,000 hectares of agricultural production are irrigated with river waters Paul D’abzac, Catolic University of Bolivia, 2018 According to Bolivian law, the water should not be used because of the contamination It continues being used even for water the crops Types of contamination: domestic contamination, pesticides (increasing in rain season), metal contamination of industry wastewater 35 pesticides have been found in studies, only 2 of those pesticides are considered in the Bolivian law. Water footprint in River Rocha Basin The water footprint is a measure of humanity's Measure the appropriation of fresh water in volumes of source of contaminants water consumed and/or polluted /responsibiliti es per “sector” “The water footprint is an indicator of freshwater use that looks not only at direct water use of a consumer or producer, but Climate also at the indirect water use.” (Hoekstra, change/ Evaluate Biodiversit regulations 2012) How WF y can be used The water of Rocha River to solve the continues being consumed for problem? agricultural purposes How social inequalities can be measured by water foot print? Evaluate Evaluate → Internal flows of virtual water security public →Inequities rural - urban of the policies Historical course system References • Vásquez, Buenfill. 2012. LATIN AMERICA’S WATER FOOTPRINT: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES. Aqua Lac, Vol. 4. • Mekonnen, Aldaya, Pahlow, Zarate. 2015. Efficiency and Equitability of Water Consumption and Pollution in Latin America and the Caribbean. Journal Sustainability. • Fitzgerald, Auerbach. 2016. The Political Economy of theWater Footprint: A Cross-National Analysis of Ecologically Unequal Exchange. Journal Sustainability. • General Contralory of the State. Inform about Rocha River. https://www.contraloria.gob.bo/portal/Inicio/tabid/55/ctl/verNoticia/mid/1107/articleID/2523/Default.aspx • Paul D’abzac. Catolic University of Bolivia. Environmental Departament. http://eju.tv/2018/05/ratas-proliferan-en-el-rio-rocha-y-el-nivel-de-contaminacion-del-agua-es-preocupante/ • Interamerican Development Bank Report. https://blogs.iadb.org/ciudadessostenibles/2013/08/13/devolver-el-rio-rocha-a-la-ciudad-de-cochabamba-una-necesidad-urge nte/
More Information • Water War in Bolivia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hn9wujK0ho4