Editorial: Today is International World Water Day

TODAY, March 22, is the International World Water Day, the seventh such celebration after the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development (Unced), which recommended the celebration of such to focus attention on the importance of freshwater and to advocate for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.

At no other time in Davao, however, what is most significant in this celebration today is that, this year, after no less than the Davao City Council itself bared its intention to amend the Davao City Watershed Code so as to accommodate what government wants to call as "win-win" solution between the Davao City Water District and the Hedcor Inc. in tapping the waters of Tamugan River. The Watershed Code prohibits any development on Tamugan River. Both companies want to exploit this -- one for drinking, the other for power generation.

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In the downladable guidebook, "A good practice guide:
Drinking water, biodiversity and development", which is among the suggested reading materials in the 2010 World Water Day website (www.unwater.org/worldwaterday/), it reads:

"Water is unique amongst our natural resources because whilst it is renewable, it is not replaceable. We have various substitutes for energy sources and most commodities, but there is no substitute for water. Once it is gone or degraded through overuse or pollution, it cannot be substituted."

The city government, both executive and legislative can learn from that passage. All of us, Dabawenyos, can learn a lot from that.

That we are still caught in the debate as to what is more important -- safe drinking water or power -- means we haven't yet fully plumbed the depths of water's importance. But that is expected. For how can you ponder deeply on something that is there when you turn on the tap.

But that is not so for thousands of our lumad residents who have to walk long kilometers just to fetch a gallon of water. More so for thousands of female lumad residents, who because of their culture are assigned such tasks.

In this situation alone, water immediately becomes a complex subject as it touches on poverty and gender issues both at the same time. We're not going any deeper into that. It is enough that we have pointed out the complexity of this subject.

Water, after all, is a valuable natural resource that is essential to all basic human needs, thus a complex subject in every way.

But if we were to debate non-stop over the complexities of this subject while doing nothing to our fast-denuding forests, polluted waterways, contaminated water sources, and wasteful use of clean water, we will never get anywhere before "it is gone or degraded through overuse or pollution".

Let us not be caught in the age-old divide-and-rule tactics of those who have self-interest to boost by pitting human needs and environmental needs, where we are made to believe that by protecting the environment we harm humans. It is very clear in the water that we are still able to drink straight from the tap in Davao City, that there is no such dichotomy.

"In the case of drinking water, human and environmental interests are clearly aligned. Holistic water management is essential if the world is to achieve sustainable development," the guidebook reads.

We too have to remember that being able to drink straight from the tap is no longer a luxury of other highly-urbanized areas.

Yes, we have clean water and majority of us where basic infrastructure are available have access to this. But this is not the norm.

"This luxury is unavailable to billions of the world's people, whose water circumstances lead to a daily struggle involving disease, death, hardship and social injustice; women and children are particularly affected. Lack of access to safe drinking water is a primary definer of poverty itself," the guidebook reads.

Let's all ponder on that as we turn the tap on and fill our water bottles today.