Aid systems and development policy must support a system that is responsive to complex community-level needs because the labyrinth of water, sanitation and hygiene issues exists at the confluence of health, education and equity problems. Root causes of global economic and political instability are linked to poverty, inequality and unemployment. The rapid rise in global poverty has accompanied the rise of international security threats since the Cold War, according to anthropologist of development professor Akhil Gupta of the University of California, Los Angeles. Achieving human security in developing countries is paramount for reducing international security threats and goes beyond simply the absence of violent conflict — it means establishing basic access to essential services like water, sanitation and hygiene. The many competing human uses for water — personal consumption, agriculture, industry, and sanitation systems — combined with the lack of sufficient infrastructure in developing countries means that natural water systems (rivers, aquifers, streams and rainfall) cannot be abstracted from discussions of human and international security.

The 2006 United Nations Human Development Report found that people suffering from waterborne illnesses occupy over half of all hospital beds globally. Pathogens from dirty water result in diarrhea which still remains the leading killer of children younger than 5 years old — 1.8 million a year, or about 4,900 per day. Water-related illness alone causes 443 million missed school days per year. This means that for other development improvements to be met — including improving universal achievement of primary education, reducing child mortality, improving maternal health and eradicating extreme poverty and hunger – water, sanitation, and hygiene must be prioritized in the global policy and aid agenda.

While empirical data regarding the impact of aid on economic growth is mixed, the overall positive effects of aid specifically directed to the water sector are clear. A 2010 article in the Journal of Global Health used a country-level analysis to determine the relationship between official development assistance and improvements in access to water and sanitation. The results of this inquiry into aid effectiveness since the establishment of the Millennium Development Goals in 2000 shows that countries receiving official assistance are 4 to 18 times more likely to have access to improved water supply than countries without assistance. Furthermore, countries with the greatest gains in sanitation were up to nine times as likely to have greater reductions in infant and child mortality.

Although aid is not a panacea for the many complex problems plaguing developing countries, cutting aid for water and sanitation programs would cause significant harm. As the United Nations Security Council suggests, water security takes on a double meaning: It describes both sustainable access to the resource, and the absence of water as a contributor to conflict. Although the global community met the Millennium Development Goal target for safe drinking water, the World Health Organization found that 800 million people are still without clean water and 2 billion without basic sanitation. The momentum to increase access to safe drinking water and improve sanitation in water stressed countries cannot be lost now.

According to Stratfor, a global intelligence agency, Egypt has renewed threats to militarily engage in the event that Ethiopia continues plans to build a dam on the Nile. This example is an indicator for a larger looming security crisis according to former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, who conveyed the findings of a Defense Intelligence Agency report this September at the United Nations roundtable on water security. Clinton warned that “demand for water will go up, but our fresh water supplies will not keep pace,” increasing the threat of instability within and between states.

Criticism about the infusion of aid to the transitional governments in the unstable regions is not unfounded, but reducing or blocking aid to water stressed countries could heighten tensions rooted in anxiety over reliable access to water. Middle Eastern and North African countries continue to be the worst off in terms of human and economic development indicators, including access to water and sanitation. USAID recently reported that only 27 percent of Afghanis have access to safe drinking water, and 12 percent to adequate sanitation, while two-thirds of water is lost through decrepit infrastructure. Aid directed at improving infrastructure in neglected areas for water and sanitation could significantly improve health, education and human security in such regions.

The BBC estimates that for developed countries and Brazil, Russia, India and China alone, “$800 billion per year will be required by 2015 to cover investments in water infrastructure, a target likely to go unmet.” According to a recent Guardian Global Development article, the developing world will be home to 29 megacities with more than 10 million residents by 2025; therefore, improving infrastructure in these areas to meet the growing demand for water will be crucial. As rainfall becomes more unpredictable and devastating floods continue as a consequence of global climate change, directed aid could reduce conflict in water-stressed countries that are politically and economically volatile.

There are many ways that Cal students can engage with critical water issues. UC Berkeley is transforming into a hub for water-based community engaged research, advocacy, and activism. A number of DeCals all offer opportunities for students. The Berkeley Water Group is a student-driven think tank and research collaborative aiming to nurture ideas and innovation. Many research opportunities, particularly though the Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship program, are beginning to focus more water, health and environmental issues.

Whether students work domestically or abroad on water issues, any solutions must be tied to the environmental, economic, social and cultural realities.

In a world with more cell-phones than toilets, improving access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene is both a strategic investment and a moral imperative. The post-9/11 world forces a re-examination of the relationship between human security and global poverty. Development policy changes in the global north, rather than charity, that prioritize water, sanitation and hygiene will contribute to healthy people, thriving ecosystems and sustainable economies in the future. International security necessitates meeting the basic needs of those in developing countries, especially the most basic resource to sustain life: water.

Rebecca Peters is a junior at UC Berkeley and a 2013 Truman and Udall Scholar.

Contact the opinion desk at opinion@dailycal.org.

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Peters, a UC Berkeley junior who is pursuing a dual bachelor’s degree in society and environment and international development and economics, is among 62 college juniors nationwide selected by the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation on the basis of academic achievements, leadership accomplishments and commitment to becoming a leader in public service.

“The thing that unites us is our passion — we all care so much about what we do,” Peters said of her fellow Truman Scholars. “The Truman itself isn’t the thing that gets you to the next spot. It’s everything you’ve done that has led up to the Truman that will put you on the right trajectory.”

Peters began her freshman year studying environmental science and engineering at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. However, after completing fieldwork in rural Guatemala and witnessing those without adequate resources living in “abject destitution,” Peters said she became inspired to transfer to UC Berkeley to enroll in the global poverty and practice minor.

“You can see connections between political and economic power and resources,” Peters said. “It’s not an issue of scarcity or of just the environment but an issue of justice. I realized that just looking at technology and science wasn’t enough to change the problems — the bigger concern was about poverty, health and unequal access to natural resources.”

At UC Berkeley, Peters has worked to expand water-related opportunities for students by co-founding a DeCal course that focuses on water and international human rights. She also leads the Berkeley Water Group, a student group encouraging discussion of water rights, and worked with faculty to develop the curriculum for a minor in water sustainability, science and policy.

“Rebecca Peters is truly deserving of the Truman Scholarship,” said Ananya Roy, a professor of city and regional planning, distinguished chair of the global poverty and practice minor and Peters’ mentor. “I have the privilege of working with many brilliant and motivated students here at Cal, but Rebecca is unique in her ability to combine the worlds of research, policy, activism — all as an undergraduate.”

Following her graduation and her time in Washington, D.C., with the Truman Scholar Summer Institute, Peters plans to return to South America to do research and community-based work before applying for a dual master’s degree in water science and international diplomacy.

“I want to make sure, as a policy maker, my ideas are rooted in reality and how people maintain their livelihoods,” Peters said, noting the value of working with those whom her policies would affect. “You can’t have policies without being connected to local realities. There needs to be a strong push.”

Contact Mia Shaw at mshaw@dailycal.org.

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