| The right to a clean water is human
right. We cannot survive without water. We need clean water
for domestic use such as drinking, cooking and bathing. Other uses are
for recreation, irrigation, food production, industry and power generation.
But after each use, water becomes contaminated with bacteria, toxic chemicals,
radioactive material, or heat. These contaminants make the water unsuitable
for immediate reuse. Water pollutants have direct effects on human health
and aquatic life. They can also have a direct effect on the economy by
degrading water resources. It is cheaper to and safer to treat wastewater
before it is discharged. On the other hand, it is difficult and expensive
to clean up pollution after it has occurred. Despite all these, we
still take our water resources for granted. Our wrong perception
that water is everywhere and readily available contribute to our
abusive tendencies. By our unregulated, unreasonable and uncontrolled use
of our water resources, we will soon find ourselves wanting of water to
drink. Our country is currently facing a water crisis parallel to
the global phenomenon relating to climate change and the El
Nino. Aggravated by wastage and inefficient use of water resources, massive
pollution of both surface and ground water, continued denudation
of our forest cover particularly our watersheds, and a lack of coherent
management framework have left our government unable to provide basic water
services to our growing population. One major contributing
factor is our considerable lack of awareness regarding the interrelated
nature of human activities and the environment. We believe that nature
like water is free and inexhaustible. But little did we know that water
is limited, easy to pollute and hardly replenishable. There is estimated
about 326 million cubic miles of water available on earth but only about
.0091% of it may be a possible source of potable water located in
fresh water springs, lakes and rivers. To illustrate, if all of earth’s
water will fit in a gallon jug, available fresh water would equal just
over a tablespoonful. Man is only one of the many consumers who need
water for survival. Experts say that in year 2025, when our population
in the Philippines will be estimated at 100 million, our per capita
water capability will only be about 5,000 cubic meters down from
about 14,000 in l955 when the population was only 25 million. With
our growing population, deforestation, contamination of ground
water, uncontrolled and unregulated extraction
of underground water, it is foreseen in the near future
that water will be scarce. It is just a matter of time. By then,
people will fight tooth and nail against each other to
gain control of our water resources. Unwittingly, by ignoring all efforts
to co0nserve our water resources, we are allowing this scenario to happen.
We might not be around by that time but certainly, our next generation
will execrate us in our graves for destroying the very basic human
need for survival – WATER.
It must not be forgotten that
conserving and preserving nature is more than anybody’s concern. It is
a social responsibility. It is the sharing in this responsibility that
we may be able to discharge our role as trustee and guardian of the environment
for the generations to come.
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