Saving water Saving lives

Where would we be without water? No life would have been possible on Earth without water. Most of our body is made up of water, in a way recreating the primordial soup that gave birth to life billions of years ago.

Leave platinum and gold aside - water is perhaps the most precious resource on our planet, although we may not realise it until it is too late.

Today, World Water Day, we have an opportunity to reflect on the very close link between life and water. The statistics and future predictions regarding water are alarming. Less than one per cent of the plant’s water is accessible for our use - and we risk losing that too due to our callous disregard for the environment.

More than one billion people in poor countries have no access to safe water, although an equal number gained access to safe drinking water between 1990-2002. Moreover, 5.5 billion people will be facing a severe water crisis by 2025. This is indeed an alarming trend.

The daily requirement for sanitation, bathing, and cooking needs, as well as for assuring survival, is about 49 litres per person. But for billions around the world, such a number is hard to imagine. They have to trudge several miles to get a few buckets of water, which the whole family has to use sparingly.

Water has a direct impact on health. The lack of water has thus posed a major problem to 2.5 billion people who have no access to improved sanitation. More than 3.5 million people die each year from water-related diseases - it has been estimated that a child dies in a developing country from a water-related disease every 15 seconds.

Yet, these deaths can be avoided easily if water and sanitary facilities are provided to these impoverished families. An investment of only US$11.3 billion per year, much less than the combined defence expenditure of the nations of the world, is needed to meet the drinking water and sanitation target of the Millennium Development Goals.

Such a step will yield a total payback of US$ 84 billion a year. What the world needs at this stage is the collective will to undertake such a step.

Sri Lanka has shown the way to the rest of the developing countries by improving water and sanitation facilities through Government and foreign funding. Indeed, Sri Lanka’s track record in this sector was so good that it could successfully contain any outbreak of water-borne diseases after the 2004 tsunami.

Yet, Sri Lanka needs to do a lot more to ensure a quality water supply to all households. Supplying water for agriculture is also important. The Government is commissioning rural water supply schemes at a commendable rate.

The needs of the residents of the Eastern Province and the Northern Province, both of which are emerging after decades of conflict, must be taken into account. These areas will need a considerable number of water supply schemes as part of the overall rehabilitation and reconstruction plan.

Sri Lanka will also have to consider the possibility of installing desalination plants to convert seawater into freshwater as well as wastewater recycling plants in the future.

The authorities will also have to tackle the issue of water pollution. Homes and factories on riverbanks directly discharge their effluents to the water, thus making it unsuitable for drinking and other essential purposes. Action must be taken against such offenders.

Another major issue is the colossal wastage of this precious resource not only by individuals but also by institutions, both Government and private. We see many roadside taps that are either kept open or broken, spewing water 24 hours a day. We simply cannot afford to waste water in that manner.

It is time that the basics of water management are taught at schools from the primary grades so that the next generation will be more aware of the need to conserve water. Saving water should begin both at home and at school. Even a simple step such as using a container to rinse your mouth or wash your face instead of using running water can save a lot of water.

This year’s World Water Day theme `sharing water, sharing opportunities’ is highly appropriate as it is a common resource for all mankind. Unfortunately, some groups have turned it into a weapon.

A prime example was the LTTE’s attempt to deprive water to thousands of farmers by closing the Mavil Aru anicut. The Government had to step in and liberate the entire province to ensure that the LTTE could not repeat such barbaric acts.

Worldwide, there have been many conflicts that arose from water disputes. This year’s focus on Transboundary Waters provides an ideal opportunity to work towards resolving such disputes.

The world must find viable solutions to its water wars and woes. Governments should work together, with rich countries helping the poor, to ensure that all global citizens have access to pure water. That would save countless lives and make the world a better place to live in.

Do we value water?

On occasions as the World Water Day politicians and bureaucrats, including those in charge of water management often quote the often repeated advice of King Parakramabahu not to let rain water drain to the sea without being utilized productively.

For the rest of the year they keep on doing exactly the opposite of what the good King advised. We have abundant rain, sometimes even too much. Even in the so-called dry years the annual rainfall is not much below average.

The question is that we do not preserve rain water. While ancient kings practiced what they said we have allowed many small and medium old irrigation systems to be abandoned due to neglect.

There is not only talking big but also thinking big. Those in charge of planning have always thought about mega projects requiring huge outlays of capital and often foreign collaboration when they could have planned for small and medium scale projects with community participation at a more affordable cost.

Provincial Councils could do much in his sphere. Unfortunately there is neither innovation nor creativity in those institutions except perhaps in self-aggrandizement of a few individuals.

In Colombo and other urban areas we could witness how purified drinking water is being used to water gardens, wash vehicles and even bathe dogs. The National Water Supply and Drainage Board knows only one way of reducing water consumption or reducing wasteful expenditure of water. That is increasing the water tariff.

Should not the Water Board promote rain water harvesting for domestic purposes, at least in Colombo and the more urban areas. It would be much profitable and rational for it to introduce and popularize simple technology for harvesting rain water for garden maintenance and other washing purposes.

In the long-term popularizing rain water as an alternative source of water for domestic (non-drinking) purposes would be cost effective too even if such projects are subsidized.