A similar project in Bolivia, proposed by the World Bank, set off protests in which some people were even killed - but which eventually led to the government agreeing to a system in which the people had a chance to take part in making decisions about the use of water. The problem is easy to define but hard to resolve. Access to clean water is a human right. It is very expensive, often too expensive for governments to pay for. Large, powerful concerns use more water and pollute it more than poor people.
Rich countries use more water than poor countries.
Water does not respect national boundaries. Poor people consider that they have the right to help make decisions about how water is managed. A British father has this week admitted killing his daughter who suffered from a mental disorder called manic depression. As is often the case with mental illness, the exact cause is not known, but often the symptoms are weariness, inability to lead an active life, despair, hatred of oneself. They sometimes include damaging oneself physically and suicide.