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Dimensions of the water crisis

We need to remember that water, on the one hand means life, and on the other, can become a threat to livelihood during extreme situations arising out of flood or drought. The successful tackling of these issues will require common political will and understanding based on flexibility and harmonious water sharing.

Muhammad Zamir
THE demand for clean drinking water continues to reach critical proportions from the lanes of Dhaka to most areas all over the developing world. The value of fresh water as a commodity has continued to grow because of its increasing scarcity. That has enhanced the risk factor for economic development, sustainable agriculture and the environment. It is this crisis that has encouraged multi-stakeholders to consider alternate strategies for overcoming the problem.
Special focus was given to the international dimensions of water-use in the Fifth World Water Forum held in Istanbul, TUrkey. I had the privilege of being there as vice-president of the Bangladesh Water Partnership, through the cooperation kindly extended by the German Embassy in Dhaka.
There were representatives from more than 100 countries. The Forum's main theme, "Bridging divides for water," was addressed through six sub-themes; global change and risk management; advancing human development and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs); managing and protecting water resources; governance and management; finance; and education, knowledge and capacity development.
This process of examining, discussing and identifying ways forward pertaining to use of fresh water was initiated with seriousness through a meeting held in Morocco in 1997. Since then, three other meetings were held before the latest in Istanbul this year.
Participants considered the following issues:
• Meeting basic needs for safe and sufficientwater.
• Securing food supply through the more effective use of water.
• Protecting ecosystems and ensuring their integrity through sustainable water resource management.
• Sharing water resources by promoting peaceful cooperation between different uses of water and between concerned states, through approaches such as sustainable river basis management (the concluding synthesis session pertaining to this topic was cochaired by me and Lazio Kothay, Hungarian state secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Water Management).
• Managing risks by providing security from a range of water related hazards.
• Managing water in the light of its differ-en t values, and ascertaining whether it is possible to move towards pricing water to recover the cost of service provision (after taking into account equity and the needs of the poor and the vulnerable).
• Governing water wisely by involving the public and the interests of all stakeholders.
Four other challenges were also brought within the purview of the different sessionspromoting cleaner industry with respect to water quality and the needs of the other users, assessing water's key role in energy production and in the meeting of rising energy demands, expanding the knowledge base and recognising the distinctive challenges of an increasingly urbanised world.
There was an effort to blend together the three levels of political powernational governments, local authorities and parliamentary members. This was done to facilitate the reaching of common understanding so that implementation of developmental projects regarding the delivery of potable water and better sanitation is not hampered due to ineffective agendas arising out of resource constraints.
This innovative approach encouraged participatory appreciation of the problems. I feel that replication of this process needs to be considered in Bangladesh and elsewhere in the region within the ambit of water governance. The European Union in general and Germany in particular took special interest in such a format. I hope that Germany, within the scope of its developmental cooperation, will examine the potential for activating such a paradigm in Bangladesh.
The problems within the water sector were also scrutinised against the back-drop of the world having to adapt to climate variability and global warming. It was earlier believed that water management was the art of matching our limited water resources with the present and the projected water needs of people, food economies and the environment.
Water security is perceived as being closely linked to energy security and food security. There are diverse compounding global drivers that generate their own dimensions on water resource managementclimate change and migration being two of them. This includes internal migration related to creation or presence of employment opportunities.
It was also interesting to see participants considering the possible effects of using the same water or infrastructure for manifold uses and functions so that it multiplies the benefits to communities in
terms of cost benefit in areas like livelihood, irrigation, hydro-power and ecosystem services. Attention was also paid to the bridging of the gap between different sectors to enable the development of comprehensive strategies on multiservices and benefits to people at lower cost.
Another facet that came up for intensive discussion was the need to increase cooperation over trans-boundary surface and groundwater resources, and to initiate greater integration in trans-boundary river management. Assessments were also made pertaining to institutional tools and available mechanisms for the reinforcement of such cooperation, with special reference to improvement of basin management. This was the source of heated debate, and some insisted that access to water was a human right as opposed to a “need.'’ This matter, most unfortunately, remained unresolved.
We need to realise that only six years are left to the deadline set for the achievement of the MDGs. The world faces, today, phenomenal developmental and environmental challenges.
There is need today to act together so that we can carry on our fight in Bangladesh against poverty, hunger, poor health, lack of access to clean water and sanitation and sustainable energy. We also have to recognise that eco-system services are under threat and land degradation continues (both through draining of land to meet growing demands for food and filling of water-bodies to provide urban habitation).
We need to remember that water, on the one hand means life, and on the other, can become a threat to livelihood during extreme situations arising out of flood or drought. The successful tackling of these issues will require common political will and understanding based on flexibility and harmonious water sharing.
Muhammad Zamir is a former Secretary and Ambassador Email: mzamir@dhaka.net