Water conference concludes with 17-point resolution

Kathmandu, Apr. 12: The 3-day conference on ‘Water, environment and climate change: Knowledge sharing and partnership’ concluded that accelerated actions must be taken to conserve the water bodies and sources, improve the quality of water supply and safely manage sanitation and wastewater discharges. 

Issuing a 17-point resolution, the conference that concluded on Thursday, stressed that essential national indicators need to be developed and monitored in compliance with the set standards. 

It noted that the issues of water, environment and climate change were interdependent and inseparable to maintaining the ecosystem, raising public health, achieving economic development, improving the living standards and creating disaster-resilient societies. 

More than 700 experts and professionals from around world agreed that an enabling environment, institutional arrangement and management instrument were essential to achieve equity, efficiency and environment sustainability. 

“Water resources are threatened by the ever increasing urban sprawl, particularly in the developing countries, and we need to focus on both conserving freshwater resources, such as demand management and adaptation of smart technologies, as well as investing in innovative, affordable and energy-efficient technologies for reducing and reusing of water,” reads the resolution. 

It demanded that appropriate actions, backed by appropriate policies and adequate financing to build climate resilient infrastructure, are required. 

It called for a review of the existing and developing suitable policies and legislation to cope with water, environment and climate change, and said a holistic approach is essential to create an enabling environment for mainstreaming the global agenda.

“There is a need to promote the environment and user friendly, simple and locally manageable technologies in water and sanitation system. We need to significantly enhance efforts of collaboration to provide science-based solutions to challenges associated with climate resilience,” the resolution mentions. 

The conference agreed on the fact that education and capacity development, especially of citizens, are fundamental to achieving water security and climate resilience. Universities and other research institutions need to be supported for research and development (R&D), especially in developing countries, in order to serve as the hub of relevant knowledge, technology and innovation. 

It also noted that these actions need to be undertaken in conjunction with raising public awareness on conservation of water sources and water supply through the 3R: Recharge, recycle and reuse. 

“Universal services will only become possible and sustainable with public understanding and acceptance for the necessity to save and protect resources for each other as a community. Regulation and professional competence in water, sanitation and environmental protection will be needed to guide the processes,” reads the resolution. 

Former minister Ganesh Shah said that the modern leaders should understand the current crisis of clean drinking water as well as water management for multiple purposes. 

Former secretary Shital Babu Regmi said that water has been a matter of dispute and conflict among various countries, including in South Asia, and could disturb harmony among the provinces in Nepal if water related issues were not addressed well. 

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 13 April 2018.