Water Privatization and Obstacles to Achieving Millennium Development Goal Seven\u27s Targets for Sustainable Drinking Water

Militant uprisings in Cochabamaba, Bolivia in 1999 occurred after the private water provider implemented a 300 percent fee increase. In 2003, tariffs increased 700 percent while the water operator’s negligence led to cholera outbreaks in West Manila, Philippines. Increased prices make safe water unaffordable for vulnerable populations, forcing families to make trade-offs between water, schooling, food, and healthcare. Private industry is also less likely to participate in areas where recovery of their investment is riskier