Link between water, poverty ignored

THE vital role of water in the alleviation of poverty has not been given the attention it deserves, a recent survey of national Poverty Reduction Strategy papers by the Global Water Partnership (GWP) indicates.

“This failure to capture the critical importance of water in livelihood provision and poverty alleviation needs to be remedied,” a discussion paper by GWP stated at the fifth WaterNet Symposium that started in Windhoek on Tuesday. The symposium focuses on integrated water and resources management (IWRM) and the millennium development goals under the theme ‘Managing water for peace and prosperity’.The GWP paper states that attempts to incorporate the water factor in poverty reduction strategies have been confined to the supply of safe drinking water and sanitation services.”Strategies that exclude access to water for productive purposes other than drinking water are highly flawed.”In addressing the question of whether IWRM is a relevant concept or irrelevant buzzword, Pieter van der Zaag said not enough attention was paid to the urgent needs of sufficient clean water for domestic use, proper sanitation facilities and water to produce food.”We also see the unattended needs of the environment,” the visiting Dutch professor at the University of Zimbabwe said.The Prince of Orange of the Netherlands, who is also the patron of GWP, said in his opening speech that a lack of adequate water and sanitation services was a core aspect of poverty, but that a degraded environment created even greater hardships for the poor.Van der Zaag said in a future where there would be more “business-as-usual”, the millennium development goals would not be achieved.”In that scenario, climate change will manifest itself unmistakably in more droughts and floods.”He said the scenario was not sustainable and not an option.”We should aim for a different future.This future presupposes, among others, that we manage our water resources in a holistic manner.”He believes IWRM is not an option, but a must and a prerequisite for a sustainable future.He explains IWRM as a means to reconcile basic human needs, ensuring access and equity with economic development and the imperative of ecological integrity, while respecting transboundary commitments.In response to Van der Zaag’s presentation, a participant charged that IWRM was very idealistic and that it needed a critical look at how it was applied and used.Piet Heyns of the Department of Water Affairs said it was the responsibility of symposium participants to ensure that their respective governments attend to the needs of people.”It is not the responsibility of the international community to improve the quality of life of people in southern Africa,” he said.Van der Zaag pointed out that other dilemmas that play a role in the implementation of IWRM include the question of balancing development and sustainability, and the unresolved question whether water is an economic commodity and whether it should be privatised.He praised Namibia’s effort in teaching school kids about important water-related issues and said all other SADC countries could benefit from this approach.The symposium focuses on integrated water and resources management (IWRM) and the millennium development goals under the theme ‘Managing water for peace and prosperity’.The GWP paper states that attempts to incorporate the water factor in poverty reduction strategies have been confined to the supply of safe drinking water and sanitation services.”Strategies that exclude access to water for productive purposes other than drinking water are highly flawed.”In addressing the question of whether IWRM is a relevant concept or irrelevant buzzword, Pieter van der Zaag said not enough attention was paid to the urgent needs of sufficient clean water for domestic use, proper sanitation facilities and water to produce food.”We also see the unattended needs of the environment,” the visiting Dutch professor at the University of Zimbabwe said.The Prince of Orange of the Netherlands, who is also the patron of GWP, said in his opening speech that a lack of adequate water and sanitation services was a core aspect of poverty, but that a degraded environment created even greater hardships for the poor.Van der Zaag said in a future where there would be more “business-as-usual”, the millennium development goals would not be achieved.”In that scenario, climate change will manifest itself unmistakably in more droughts and floods.”He said the scenario was not sustainable and not an option.”We should aim for a different future.This future presupposes, among others, that we manage our water resources in a holistic manner.”He believes IWRM is not an option, but a must and a prerequisite for a sustainable future.He explains IWRM as a means to reconcile basic human needs, ensuring access and equity with economic development and the imperative of ecological integrity, while respecting transboundary commitments.In response to Van der Zaag’s presentation, a participant charged that IWRM was very idealistic and that it needed a critical look at how it was applied and used.Piet Heyns of the Department of Water Affairs said it was the responsibility of symposium participants to ensure that their respective governments attend to the needs of people.”It is not the responsibility of the international community to improve the quality of life of people in southern Africa,” he said.Van der Zaag pointed out that other dilemmas that play a role in the implementation of IWRM include the question of balancing development and sustainability, and the unresolved question whether water is an economic commodity and whether it should be privatised.He praised Namibia’s effort in teaching school kids about important water-related issues and said all other SADC countries could benefit from this approach.