A new water law will set the stage for water privatization

Opposition lawmakers appeal a new water law to the Supreme Court, saying it will set the stage for water privatization and reduce the role of citizens in decision-making. The law “redefines water resources as an ‘economic good,’ which has provoked concerns from both environmental groups and the private sector. The law would principally affect the country's hydroelectric, agricultural, and industrial sectors as the highest commercial consumers of water, and will potentially increase environmental sensitivity to projects using large volumes of water, such as the US$2.5-billion El Diquís Hydroelectric Project in Buenos Aires, Puntarenas, which has been stalled since 2011 due to indigenous opposition. The law's passage will depend on a favourable Constitutional Court ruling, and subsequently on its prioritisation amid other urgent legislation ahead of the February 2018 presidential election.” [IHS Global Insight Daily Analysis, 15 November 2017].