BY ERWIN ‘AMBO’ DELILAN
THE PROVINCE of Negros Occidental has a new aim: safe water security. Its sounds gigantic, but generic in concept – conserve water.
On April 7 it held a whole-day “Safe Water Summit” at the Nature’s Village Resort in Talisay City. It was attended by Negros’ chief executives, among very important stakeholders.
Themed “Achieving safe water security future for Negros Occidental”, the gab was also in partnership with the United States Agencies International Development (USAID).
Atty. Julie Ann Bedrio, newly-appointed Provincial Environment and Management Officer (PEMO), said the summit was a “legacy project” of Gov. Bong Lacson as the latter wants to be “one step ahead” of any water.
The governor really wanted to create a Provincial Integrated Safe Water Program (PISW) – a comprehensive integrated water security plan for the province. USAID’s technical assistance was thus sought.
“We need a baseline study to produce essential data via holistic and scientific approaches to address whatever problem(s) confronting our water sources in the province,” the PEMO chief said.
There’s water stress happening in some parts of the world “so we need to act now. We have to go beyond,” Gov. Bong punctuated.
What great foresight, indeed!
Yes, Negros’ water source(s) aren’t in critical stage yet. But Atty. Bedrio was right in confiding that there’s already a bit of depletion due to deforestation and unavoidable upland denudation. A massive reforestation, therefore, is a must, she underscored.
So they heightened their upland management via Integrated Social Forestry (ISF) program. ISF, per Atty. Bedrio, is a complex endeavor aimed at capacitating the locals in the upland areas of Negros through various livelihood programs to become effective forest vanguards.
Superb idea! It’s somehow hitting two birds with one stone leading to an ultimate goal on water security.
‘WORST’ WATER STRESS
Question: Is there really water brouhaha around the world?
The answer is, yes!
Water scarcity has started to pester other countries, especially Africa.
And so lots of non-profit organizations have also started to introduce innovative ideas aimed at mitigating the impact of water scarceness.
USAID is among these non-profit groups with noblest intention – bettering water supplies around the world.
Reading an article on water courtesy of www.projectworldimpact.com, I can’t helped but be upset by the fact that 663 million people around the globe don’t have access to clean water. And over 2.7 billion people face water shortages for at least one month out of the year.
Hence, three years from now, experts already projected that around two-third of the world will gonna face the “worst” water stress. So scary!
But left with no choice, we have to face this “grimly” reality. Negrenses, therefore, must be thankful to Gov. Bong for having an “advanced thinking” prior to any water debacle.
Having this water summit as the governor’s “brainchild”, it’s best to say that such is “futuristic” in sense, but noblest in essence.
WATER IS A HUMAN RIGHT
Well, let’s be reminded that water’s life, water’s food, so water’s human right.
Facts state that water is vital in maintaining one’s dignity. Too, it is important in keeping people’s livelihoods. Thus, a right to (safe) water is a key to somehow end poverty and build peace in the community. Then, sustainable development(s) will be in the offing.
With this reasoning, on July 28, 2010, the United Nations General Assembly through Resolution 64/292, explicitly recognized human right to water and sanitation.
Likewise, it acknowledged that clean and drinking water and sanitation are essential to the realization of all human rights. Quite tricky to understand, but true!
Then UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said: “The children who have no clean water to drink, the women who fear for their safety, the young people who have no chance to receive a decent education have a right to better, and we have a responsibility to do better. All people have the right to safe drinking water, sanitation, shelter and basic services.”
Too, his predecessor Kofi Annan stressed, “Contaminated water jeopardizes both the physical and social health of all people. It is an affront to human dignity.”
So simple and understandable!
Question: How can people access safe water?
Again, this is a sixty-four-dollar question.
Water is everywhere and yet projected to cause a “misery” among the world’s populace.
But let’s trust the experts now. Because whether we like it or not, they’d already anticipated some primary challenges that’ll confront water sources around the planet.
And these so-called “futuristic” challenges include in the development of instrumentation and measuring techniques that’ will improve the accuracy of water resources – from water level to water flow to water quality to water use to re-use to allocation to trade.
Then, there’ll be problem in ensuring that measurement techniques to meet the required standards.
Imagine that world’s water connoisseurs say there are around 326 quintillions cubic meters water on earth. And the only aspired volume for available and fresh water is 0.007%.
If we attain such, then, we’ll have these 282 quintillions cubic meters – fresh and potable (water) readily accessible for human consumption.
AIN’T FAR TO AT PAR
Yes, Gov. Bong’s enormous goal on water security can be likened to (water) quintillion quantification.
But nothing’s impossible if we set our mind to it. Thus, Atty. Bedrio explained, “We really need to make the very right step one at a time.”
Taking care of our water shed areas in the province is one appropriate action, therefore, she added.
Then, we must see to it that sustainable monitoring of the water level, flow and quality must be in place at all times. Such an attempt is (really) next to essentiality.
The water summit then was a potent avenue in kicking off such a goal. With the (now) committed mayors of Negros to ensure safe water anywhere in the province, it “ain’t far to be at par” on this mission soonest.
Focus is just the key.
Then, everything will flow naturally.
For now, Gov. Bong’s “dream” for a water security maybe “hazy” for others, but time will come such a dream may also clear everyone’s mind and path leading to candid appreciation of the “beauty and essences” within.
Yes, not now, but soon!
Nonetheless, let always be “wary” that when water “tickles” the world, everyone must pay an attention.
Because water is life, but could be “disastrous”, too, if it’s (being) misused or abused./PN
