The Commercialization of Common Pool Resources

Abstract

"Unsurprisingly, the water crisis is capturing the attention of social activists, journalists, and politicians. And it is being billed as a problem of far greater magnitude than the looming oil crisis. The reason is almost too obvious to state: A person might be able to live without food for several weeks but they cannot survive without water for more than a few days. As a result, there is a lively discussion over how to most effectively avert the crisis by restructuring systems of water management. This has spurred on a blossoming water market that has facilitated the privatization of water infrastructure, resources and technologies."