WE HAVE grandiose plans, worth billions of pesos, to solve traffic and mass transport problems, the solution of which is urgent but not essential for survival. Water, however, is essential for life and its growing scarcity brought about by climate change is in urgent need of a solution. Yet, what plans do we have of solving this problem?
We also discuss non-stop many other not-as-essential-as-water needs. But why do we discuss our water problem only in the midst of a drought but stop when the drought ends and resume the discussion when another drought takes center stage.
Who remembers the water summit of three years ago that the province initiated at the height of a severe drought? Nobody I guess. Not the summiteers, not the potential beneficiaries, because now that a drought is stalking us, we are discussing it again from A to Z like it had never been discussed before. Same old complaints are being aired again and the exact same explanations are given but no clear road map towards a solution.
Pagasa says the current drought is fizzling out this month. I bet my last peso that when the rains start to fall, all discussions on our water problem will go down the drain with the rain. But I certainly would not mind losing my bet if local officials kept the discussion alive until they could hit on a definite workable solution.
Some of our youth go to the hills to “serve the people” gun in hand. But who will be around for them to serve, assuming their armed revolution is won, when we would all have died of thirst or of poisoning by contaminated water. Ideologues claim these youth are not indoctrinated, just enlightened. But the only enlightenment we need today is waking up to the stark reality of climate change and the need for drastic moves to slow it down or, if possible, reverse it.
Mass extinction will not happen in an instant. Even as I write some species are already extinct. At the current 1.5 degree rise in global temperatures over pre-industrial age levels millions of people are already without water for planting, drinking and staying healthy. At a two-degree rise, extinction will accelerate because ocean levels will rise and submerge coastal towns and cities while a lot more people will not have water for themselves, their farms and their animals.
You could say Mother Nature is the new God to worship. Unless we appease her anger at human activities that degrade her, no prayer to any other God can save us. I can just imagine this epitaph on our collective tombstone: “Here lie not so very smart earthlings who died of thirst for failing to protect and preserve the integrity of Mother Nature, the source of life on earth.”
You think this is alarmist? Try thinking again.