Introduction
Water is becoming increasingly scarce over time due to climate change, extreme storm events, and inadequate conservation of water sources. According to Ismail Serageldin, wars have existed between humans over resources such as oil, fought over for centuries (“As Long as Almond Trees” 1). Water is more precious than oil and therefore needs to be harvested and conserved, as current challenges with water inequality and infrastructure may affect future access to water. This paper therefore draws on Sultana’s article “Water Justice: Why It Matters and How to Achieve It” to elaborate on water justice in terms of access, inequality, and infrastructure failure.
Paper Summary
The paper begins with a statement about the existence of severe environmental racism in the current U.S. water distribution system. To illustrate this, the author provides a detailed explanation of the water situation in two U.S. regions: Mississippi and Southern California (“As Long as Almond Trees” 2). Particularly, the author elaborates on racialized people and communities in these regions not having equal or reliable access to available technology. Instead, there is an apparent disregard for both personal and environmental health, as well as profit and political dominance over water, which is considered the norm (“As Long as Almond Trees” 3).
To strengthen this claim, the author references Sultana’s article regarding the double standards of invoking inherent human rights in the context of water distribution (488). The rhetoric is used to divert attention from the issue at hand and has become one of the primary reasons for delaying a solution.
In this context, the paper highlights that structural inequality and unequal access to water affect communities nationwide, not just in the showcased regions. Namely, several ethnic groups with a long history of racial capitalism and internal colonial practices result in structural violence (“As Long as Almond Trees” 15). Consequently, the author proposes a solution to the problem by stating two primary considerations.
First, it is crucial to recognize that internal colonialism and past patterns of segregation are at the root of the current water access problems many communities are experiencing (“As Long as Almond Trees” 15). This step will initiate the gradual suppression of current colonial practices. Second, there is a need to increase awareness among policymakers regarding how systemic racism affects both city infrastructure and community power relations. The author concludes by reiterating the importance of an anticolonial approach in the discourse on water access.
Analysis
In many ways, the research paper reflects the article chosen as its primary source. For instance, they follow the same research approach: a thesis statement followed by evidence from a literature review. Moreover, both studies share the overarching goal of drawing attention to a particular social injustice. In this context, the authors achieve this goal while simultaneously showcasing a rigorous approach to collecting evidence on the stated topic.
Unfortunately, apart from sharing their strong points, both sources also share the same flaw – a one-sided approach. For example, the author of the paper in question cites natural disasters as a contributing factor in exacerbating the water crisis (“As Long as Almond Trees” 1). However, there is no critical discussion over the possibility that the poor water distribution that followed was caused by factors other than structural racism. A lack of discussion of potential counterarguments is also apparent in the primary research source.
Conclusion
Overall, the issue of racism and its manifestations continues to remain critical to modern society, and the topic of water justice is no exception. “As Long as Almond Trees” offers a comprehensive and in-depth examination of two water crises in the U.S. Then, the paper generalizes them to prove they reflect structural racism. In this context, the paper lacks criticality in its approach, which could significantly strengthen the weight of its arguments.
Works Cited
“As Long as the Almonds Trees Have Water It’s All Good!: A Rhetorical Examination of Water Access, Inequality, and Infrastructure Failures. ” Course Handout, pp. 1-24.
Sultana, Farhana. “Water Justice: Why It Matters and How to Achieve It.” Water International, vol. 43, no. 4, 2018, pp. 483–493.