Global leaders gathered in Stockholm in August to find solutions to increasingly decreasing global access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene. Assistant editor, Seun Akioye who was at the conference reports
There were many questions that dominated discussions at the recently concluded World Water Week (WWW), organized by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) in Stockholm, Sweden. Should water be free, how do we balance the provision of affordable water supply against the notion of water as human rights and what is the relationship between water and climate change?
The WWW which has been organized every year celebrated its 25th anniversary this year, it was a milestone conference according to Torgny Holmgren, the Executive Director of SIWI who acknowledged that there is a greater awareness about the importance and the central role water plays in development. That informed the theme for this year’s conference: “Water for Development.”
The United Nations recognized this fact when in drafting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which is aimed to build on the global achievements of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), proposed in goal six that : “ By 2030, universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all, and access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and end open defecation, paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable positions.”
Holmgren said the role of water in the development of nations cannot be underestimated as it is the foundation for all aspect of human progress. “From the Horn of Africa, over the Sahel, to São Paulo, California and China, people’s perseverance is being tested. We can no longer take a steady water supply for granted. The many local water crises today combine into a severe global water situation of great concern to all of us,” Holmgren said at the opening plenary.
A grim statistic
There were grim statistics relating to water supply especially in sub Saharan Africa and Asia. According to the United Nations World Water Development Report 2015, around 748 million people globally still lack access to improved water supply while water demand for manufacturing is expected to rise by400 percent between 2000 and 2050 globally.
Further to this is the growing concern about population growth and rural urban movement which has been a major contributor to water stress. A higher rate of urbanization leads to increased competition between agricultural, industrial and municipal water use. Growing cities in Africa and Asia will need to provide services to 70 million more people each year for the next 20 years further increasing the challenges of providing access to water supply and sanitation.
Adding to this depressing news is the fact that groundwater supply is diminishing with an estimated 20 percent of the world’s aquifers currently over-exploited and 52 countries are currently under water stress.
Water and climate change
For the scientists, water experts, policy makers and activists, the most critical aspect of discussions at the conference was getting the water agenda into discussions at the Climate Change, Conference of Parties 21 which will hold in Paris, France in December. According to Holmgren, water is so critical to climate change that it is a shock it is yet to be on the policy agenda of climate change talks.
“ Water needs to be part of climate negotiations because the larger impact of climate change will be felt through water. Focus should be changing from energy to water and when we look at the Sustainable Development Goals, we see that water is related to many of the goals. Water efficiency should be as common as energy efficiency,” he said.
The conference has reasons to be worried about climate change and water. Rising sea levels, ocean acidification, progression of drought all associated with climate change has negative impact on water supply.
At the opening plenary, the President of Marshal Islands, Christopher Loeak broke the hearts of the participants when he painted a picture of the wreckage climate change has caused in his country. “ There is no issue in the world that is closer to my heart than the issue of water. We are a small country quite literarily contemplating a future where we are being wiped off the world map. Yet, as the leader of my country, I cannot look my people in the eye and in good conscience say that everything will be ok, when I know the world continues to travel down a destructive part,” Loeak said.
The people understood the enormity of Loeak’s statement. Marshall Islands consists of more than a thousand small islands sitting at an average of two metres above sea level. Loeak said water surrounds his country and sustains its economy with fishing being the main source of income. Ironically, the water that sustains the Marshallese economy is now threatening to its very existence.
For Karin Lexen, director of the WWW, integrated water resource management is central to the implementation of the SDGs. “ Water scarcity posses significant risk to every sector and efforts to mitigate climate change needs to be addressed with water issues, implementing climate change policies will involve increasing water infrastructure,” she said.
Prof. Benedito Braga, Secretary of State for Sanitation and Water resources for the state of Sao Paulo Brazil said while the impacts of climate change will be felt to the greatest degree in water, its adaptation should be central to t he climate debate. He urged the conference to be more focused on the Action Day during COP 21 to press home demands for the inclusion of water in climate debate.
African governments and Water Policy failure
There are few cheering news coming from the African continent however, this was the submission of African Ministers of Water at the Africa Focus Day which had the theme: “ Water Resources and Sanitation Management in Africa.” The Ministers said Africa has failed to meet its objectives in terms of water and the MDGs. Already about 488million people still lack access to sanitation and 200million do not have safe clean water. According to Amadou Faye, Minister for Hydraulic and Sanitation, Senegal, Africa must establish a harmonized monitoring and reporting system for water sector.
Hon. Eugene Wamalwa, Minister for Water and Irrigation, Kenya told The Nation : “ What we want to do is persuade our government to invest more in water and irrigation sector. From Abuja to Maputo declaration, we want to put aside 15percent of our national budget on health for water.”
Wamalwa said more investment in water will lead to great savings in the health and security sector. “The time has come to walk the talk and direct the focus on water,” he said. However, the issue of water pricing remains a major debate among the stakeholders with consensus favouring providing infrastructure for water management, creating innovations that would reduce water use and support entrepreneurs that will create new technology.
The general impression from the participants is towards the provision of affordable clean water . “Water is a right, but we need to pay for our right,” says one participant. According to Wamalwa, for water to be available, it must be paid for. “ Nothing is free or should be free, we must pay and make it affordable and accessible through the development of our infrastructures, this is not about free water, but affordable water.”
Walk for water, mingle and dance and other events
On Monday August 24, 2015, Stockholm Water Prize winner Rajendra Singh led delegates to the conference on a two kilometre walk from the City Conference Centre to the City Hall. The walk which was termed World Water Walk for Peace is to” raise awareness so that young people can learn how to pay respect to water, love it and understand the relation between human health and water health,” Singh said.
But if the walk appears too strenuous for you, the night of mingle and dancing would be the perfect remedy. A stand in band named “The Visitors” which sings only songs from Swedish Pop group ABBA treated the delegates to an unforgettable night of music.
Nigerian delegates to the conference include officials from the Ministry of Water Resources, members of the academia and water activists. Mrs. Temitope Adeniji Adele, Deputy Director, Water Supply said Nigeria will take the matter of the SDG more seriously as water is highlighted. “ We need to develop an indicator that will measure drinking water and sanitation, we will be going back home with a view to take charge of the whole water sector,” she said.
Also Adeyinka Oludiran, Programme Director Wateraid Nigeria said participation at the conference should help deepen knowledge especially for policy makers and take charge of policies and programmes in Nigeria’s water sector.
For Babatope Babalobi, a water activist, about 60 percent of patients in sub Saharan Africa are suffering water borne diseases. “ So if we can provide access to safe water in Nigeria, incidences of water borne diseases should be prevented and we can depopulate our hospitals up to 60 percent.”
The meeting ended with much optimism which is captured in the goals set by Holmgren: “ It is my goal that in 25 years from now, we will no longer talk about global water crisis.”
No comments:
Post a Comment