As we look ahead to the 21st century, a growing number of people see water as one of the key issues that must be addressed. As all of us know in the water industry, water is a precious and limited resource. Many thoughtful people agree that we will see a crisis in water over the next century. How we will deal with pollution, scarcity and the political issues surrounding water demand a great deal of thought. An international panel of experts has been debating the future of water. The World Water Commission on Water for the 21st Century recently released its draft Social Charter for Water during a meeting in Cairo, Egypt. The commission is supported by agencies of the United Nations and World Bank. It aims to bring together scientists, economists, government officials and members of society to devise solutions to the predicted water crisis.
I had a chance to read the draft charter, which at this point is still very much in the working stage. It is posted at the French Water Academy Internet site at www.oieau.fr/academie. It is obvious to me it was originally written in French and imperfectly translated, so a little difficult to read. At this point most of the recommendations in the charter deal with such issues as public education, training and involvement in policy decisions regarding water supply and resource protection.
According to the framers of the charter, "The Social Charter of Water aims at helping political and financial decision-makers and water managers ... to set up water management (systems) best adapted to the (populations) requests and their technical and economic means."
Too often, the public is not adequately involved in the decision-making process when it comes to water issues, the framers assert. When making decisions about water, policy makers should take into consideration the population needs regarding water availability, waste management, and the protection of the environment. They should also actively involve the local population in water and waste management decisions.
As I read the charter I was reminded of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys policy of holding public "stakeholder" meetings whenever it is considering new regulations. One suggestion of the charter also is to conduct education programs to inform both children and adults about water issues, which many U.S. water utilities do on a regular basis. In fact, I recently encouraged a new staff member here at WaterWorld to tour one of Tulsas water treatment plants to get a better feel for the industry. When he called to make an appointment, he was invited to join a tour of local college students who were training to be teachers. I thought that was neat. They were teaching budding teachers about water so they could go forth and spread the word.
When looking around the world, the water issues I see are pollution, scarcity and the political issues of water crossing international boundaries. On a more basic level, many regions around the world must deal with just supplying clean, safe water to a location where people can use it, whether in their homes or at a public tap.
Education is one answer, advances in technology are another. Economical means of desalination would be a big help in many regions, as would finding more efficient and affordable ways to recycle wastewater. Simple, basic water treatment technology that requires a minimum of expertise and power to operate is another key requirement for developing nations. If you would like to comment on the future of water in the 21st century, we have established a discussion bulletin board at the WaterWorld web site, www.wwinternational.com. I would be interested to hear your views.
