Water cooperation issues and challenge (2)

A sanguine poet and great visionary of Mughal Period Abdur Rahim Khan Khana once said:

Rahiman Pani rakhiye, bin pani sab soon

Pani gaye na ubre, moti manus chun

The above said lines deftly signify the real vitality of the water resources in our life and today I am here to talk with all of you on an issue that needs an exigent attention, a humongous address of the society and that issue is water scarcity. Today we have a strong demand to talk on this issue but before proceeding I would like to ask you people not to limit it to a competition but use this forum to promote the cause, to do something for the humanity. Today every society having its root in the earth is confronted with the problem of scarcity. We, human being have taken water resources allocated to us, by God for granted and that’s why we are facing the problems today. Due to non-judicious use and over exploitation of water resources by the human beings today we all are facing the grave danger of the extinction of water and ultimately our life. 

But wait! You have heard that oceans make up 71% of the Earth’s surface, then why to worry about it. We are having an abundant supply of water and needn’t worry it. It’s going to even last for thousands of years, but that’s not true. As you can see in this slide, (Info) then again a question arises, why we need to conserve the water, we all sitting here are definitely going to live with water. But unfortunately even that thing is not true. NCIWRD has estimated that in the next 12 years which means that in the year 2025 India is going to become water stressed country and after 25 years from 2025 we are going to become water scarce country and it’s for sure that we are going to live for the next 62 years for better life we need to conserve water as that day is not far when we are facing a brobdingnagian need to manage our resources or we will be lost in the pages of history.

Now I have told you about the problem, but where is the answer. OK I give you the answer. 

We can solve the problem of water scarcity by two ways and that are water conservation and water cooperation. 

Water conservation refers to conservation of water for the sake of sustainability or for future generations so that they are not devoid from this precious god gifted source while water cooperation refers to peaceful and ingenious management of water resources between two riparian states or nations or societies so that we get the maximum benefit from our water resources.

 

Now what’s more crucial Water cooperation or water conservation?

As far are my knowledge goes water cooperation is much more necessary that water conservation. Water conservation is necessary but cooperation deftly slips the issue of Water cons, to the second place. For example in the African continent, almost every country shares a transboundary river but 60% which means that around 52 rivers out of 84 rivers lack any cooperation between different nations. If we cooperate on the African waters then we can provide water to more than 320 million people and can take water to every household.  Another example is of Ganges-Brahmputra Basin- which includes India, China, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh. All these countries cooperate on Ganges-Brahmputra Basin and around 500 Million people get benefitted from this treaty. Abu Dhabi Dialogue consists of seven Arab Countries which come together to cooperate on water issues therefore leading to humongous management of water resources and this is the possible reasons that today Arab Countries are getting ample supply of water for their people. Pakistan too is getting most of its water due to Indus River treaty with India which was signed in 1960. Indus river is the life line of Pakistan and without it, Pakistan can’t even sustain for one single day.  This is the power of Water Cooperation. This is why we need to cooperate; this is why we need cooperation. From your classroom to an international forum you have to cooperate or there will be no results.

Now the question is that are we competent to cooperate? I don’t think so. Let’s first talk about our motherland India. India has given very low and dismal output on the forum of water cooperation. I am having facts for it. Let’s for example take Krishna River. Krishna river flows from Maharashtra to Karnataka and then to the North of Andhra Pradesh and all the states continue to fight for the lion share of the river and during the tussling a large amount of water escapes out. The same is in Kaveri River. Kaveri River has been a major source of controversy between the states of Karnataka.  Now on international forum again there is not cooperation. China’s continuous attempts to divert waters from Brahmaputra river are raising major concerns in the overall hydrological dynamics of South and South-east Asia and if China succeeds in doing what it wants then more than 2 Billion people from Asia will be affected. Today more than 166 rivers out of the total 276 transboundaries rivers lack cooperation leading to the loss of a humongous amount of water.

Do we only need cooperation on Fresh water sources? No need cooperate on marine water. No we have a need to define the boundaries of our oceans too. As oceans have been a major source of fossil fuels, countries fight for the marine water leading to huge discontentment. So we need to cooperate on marine water too.

Today we have a strong and robust need to cooperation, cooperate on an issue which affects us all. From a newborn baby to a 90 year old man from a destitute to a rich man and that issue is water. Cooperate on water issues and save life that’s the simple formula apply it and you are going to definitely win the challenge.

Jai Hind, Jai Bharat

Jai Ma Bharti.