‘Distributive justice solution to water scarcity’

It is an indisputable fact that for life to sustain itself on the planet, water is the most precious resource as humans are resilient to bear the harshest vicissitudes of life but can not do so without the lifeblood that is water.

It is therefore paramount and imperative to bring distributive justice in water management which is the need of the hour to overcome water scarcity, especially in the South Asian region. Without a comprehensive understanding of the real and multidimensional value of water, safeguarding this critical resource for the benefit of everyone would not be a possibility.

This was the gist of the message conveyed by experts from the environment and agriculture sectors at an online regional dialogue titled ‘Valuing water for achieving sustainable development goals (Water and Sanitation),’ held by Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) the other day.

Former Nepali Minister of Water Resources Dr Dipak Gyawali, while sharing his views in regional perspective of water management, said that from transboundary to a village level, the conflicts on water issues would always be there due to its being a precious and irreplaceable natural resource.

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“The point that we need to consider while dealing with the water issues is that there cannot be a complete consensus on any solution and therefore, we need to reach certain compromises for the collective betterment," Dr Gyawali said.

Linking water issues with the Covid-19 pandemic challenges, WaterAid South Asia Regional Advocacy Manager Vanita Suneja opined that the challenging situation, especially about hands hygiene to contain the spread of the virus, has reminded us about the access to water

She added that despite the shrill messages on the value of water during the pandemic, there is no visible increase in public funding on water, especially in South Asian countries.

The inclusion of all stakeholders in decision-making on water issues is imperative for effective water management, she added.

SDPI Executive Director Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri highlighted the multidimensionality of water usage and said that water has become even important amidst the Covid-19 pandemic for handwashing (health), food security (agriculture), and livelihoods (energy). He suggested that Dr Gyawali should take a lead in updating a quarter-century old “South Asia water manifesto”, a document that water experts in South Asia prepared in 1997 for just distribution of water across the region.

“It is our collective responsibility to pass on this precious resource to our future generations”, said Dr Suleri.

Sindh Agriculture University VC Dr Fateh Mari was of the view that we need to focus on improving the water use situation by overcoming several challenges.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 25^th, 2021.