Water crises in Montevideo and Rio de Janeiro: an opportunity for privatization?
Water crises in Montevideo and Rio de Janeiro reveal how the lack of water becomes an opportunity to privatize a resource that should be a public right.
In recent years, at least two South American metropolises have experienced water shortages due to issues of adequate quality or quantity. In 2020, the Metropolitan Region of Rio de Janeiro faced a water emergency caused by contamination with geosmin, a non-toxic organic compound produced by algae, which made the water’s odor “unpleasant,” according to residents, and exposed a structural crisis in water supply and sanitation. And in 2023, the Metropolitan Area of Montevideo went through a crisis that put approximately 1.5 million people at risk, due to drought, increased water salinity, doubts about potability, and a widespread sense of vulnerability. (…)
In an ideal context, water would be guaranteed as a human right and managed in a participatory manner; however, when the state fails to make necessary investments, prioritizes economic interests, or underestimates social participation, the result is the scarcity that affected millions of people.
