Water: commons or commodity?

Karen Bakker, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia
Alternatives, Spring 2003

The question of whether water should be treated as a commons or a commodity has a long history. In contemporary discussions, this question often occurs in the context of debates over the sharing of responsibility for water supply between the state, the private sector, and citizens. These are pressing issues, given that private corporations are playing an increasingly important role as builders, owners and operators of water supply systems.