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Saturday, December 27, 2003
Ong: Water privatization is the next global war (Part 2)
By Ted Aldwin Ong
THIRD, water must be conserved for all time. Each generation must ensure that the abundance and quality of water is not diminished as a result of its activities.
The only way to solve the problem of global water scarcity is to radically change our habits, particularly when it comes to water conservation. People living in the wealthy countries of the world must change their patterns of water consumption, especially those in water-rich bioregions.
If they don't change their habits, any reluctance to share their water -- even for sound environmental and ethical reasons -- will rightly be called into question.
The key to maintaining sustainable groundwater supplies is to ensure that the net extractions do not exceed recharge. Some water destined for cities and agribusiness will have to be restored to nature. Large tracts of aquatic systems must be set aside for preservation; governments must agree on a global target. Planned major dams must be put on hold and some current river diversions must be re-oriented to reflect a more seasonal flow or else be de-commissioned altogether.
Infrastructure improvement must become a priority of governments everywhere to stem the huge loss of water through aging and broken systems. Government subsidies of wasteful corporate practices must end. By refusing to subsidize abusive water use, governments will send out the message that water is not abundant and cannot be wasted.
Fourth, polluted water must be reclaimed. The human race has collectively polluted the world's water supply and must collectively take responsibility for reclaiming it. Water scarcity and pollution are caused by economic values that encourage over consumption and grossly inefficient use of water. A resolution to reclaim polluted water is an act of self-preservation. Our survival, and the survival of all species, depends on restoring naturally functioning ecosystems.
Governments at all levels and communities in every country must reclaim polluted water systems and halt, to the extent possible, the destruction of wetlands and water systems habitat. Rigorous law and enforcement must address the issue of water pollution from agriculture, municipal discharge and industrial contaminants, the leading causes of water degradation. Government must re-establish control over transnational mining and forestry companies whose unchecked practices continue to cause untold damage to water systems.
The water crisis cannot be viewed in isolation from other major environmental issues such as clearcutting of forests and human-induced climate change. The destruction of waterways due to clearcutting severely harms fish habitat.
Climate change will cause extreme conditions. Floods will be higher, storms will be more severe, and droughts will be more persistent.
The demand of existing freshwater supplies will be magnified. To reclaim damaged water will require an international commitment to dramatically reduce human impacts to climate.
Fifth, water is best protected in watersheds. The future of water-secure world is based on the need to live within naturally formed "bioregions," or watersheds. Bioregionalism is the practice of living within the constraints of a natural ecosystem. The surface and groundwater conditions peculiar to a watershed constitute a set of essential parameters that govern virtually all life in the region; other characteristics, like flora and fauna, are related to the areas hydrological conditions. Therefore, if living within ecological constraints of a region is key to developing a sustainable society, watersheds are an excellent starting point for establishing bioregional practices.
An advantage of thinking in watershed terms is that water flow does not respect nation-state borders. Watershed management offers more interdisciplinary approach to protecting water. Watershed management is a way to break the gridlock among international, national, local and tribal governments that has plagued water policy around the world for so long. Watersheds, not political or bureaucratic boundaries, will lead to more collaborative protection and decision-making. To be continued
(December 27, 2003 issue)
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