OECD

Oikos Student Reporters Eva Papadimas and Aishwarya Nair got a chance to interview the Secretary General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Angel Gurría, on the opening day of the 6th World Water Forum in Marseille.  They discussed some of the challenges facing the financing of water projects. Mr. Gurría identified sustainable and equitable financing as one of the fundamental conditions for successful water policy reform, regardless of whether the country in question is a member OECD state or a developing country; the only difference is the target of the investment. In developing countries, the financing would go to the development of infrastructure to improve access and connectivity of people to water and sanitation services because ironically, it is the poorest people in the world who pay significantly more than those connected to water mains. For OECD countries, however, the challenge that must be addressed is the expensive modernisation of an extensive network of aging and leaking pipes. The amounts needed for financing such as this range between 1-4% of national GDPs.  Equally important, therefore, is the realisation that this financing must come with a long-term plan.