In late April, Country Convenor for FAN Nepal Lajana Manandhar made a presentation at the water and sanitation session at the South Asia Policy Forum – a key civil society forum which is working to influence the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation's (SAARC) processes.
The meeting was arranged in advance of the forthcoming SAARC meeting in Bhutan and provided FANSA with a slot to give the water and sanitation perspective.
The following is an excerpt of Lajana's address:
Water scarcity conflicts
In the last one or two weeks, I have been feeling little disturbed by the news of water getting scarce and the growing conflicts around it. Let me give you a few examples.
- Rajastan, India
There was news that the army was going to help Dhaka Water Supply and Sanitation Authority distribute water as the crisis got serious. I watched it on TV - a well was being guarded and patrolled by a group of men carrying guns. That well was a source of water for 25 families in a village in Rajasthan in India. Rajasthan is a dry area and this shows how serious the water issue is there.
- Luanda, Angola
The April issue of National Geographic published a picture of a young child carrying a packet of water, a glass or two glasses of water packed in a plastic bag. These packets of water cost 10 cents in the slums in Luanda, Angola.
- Patan, Nepal
On 23 April 2010, Patan Citizens Movement in partnership with ABC television organized an interaction programme to discuss on the issues of taps getting drier particularly in Patan area. The people were so furious and angry that they only just refrained themselves from raising their hands to beat the water authorities representatives from the Board, KUKL and the Tariff Commission.
- Dehli, India
The authorities had no reply to the question of the citizens – when and how their gagris (water pots) will get filled? I have seen Sheila Dixit, chief minister of Delhi, speaking many times that they will address the water issues in Delhi but water issues continue to worsen in Delhi.
This is a small picture of a scary current ground reality on water conflict and issues in South Asia.
Struggling to improve access
In this context, the projected figure of 92% of the people in South Asia having access to improved water supply by 2015 may not be the reality. I doubt whether we will be able to achieve this. More and more communities and cities are getting drier. The water authorities in the cities have failed to meet the water needs and demands of the people.
Cross boundary conflicts
I think the biggest challenge before the South Asian nations, as well as the wider region, is how to avoid water conflicts spilling across national boundaries. South Asian counties need to work on how to avoid water wars. This should be on the agenda of the SAARC meeting that will be held in Bhutan later this year. We have been hearing that next war will be about water. Somehow I feel that the water war has already begun, but I also hope that water war never happens.
The impact of climate change
The major rivers in India and Nepal are fed by the glacier mountains in China and Nepal. Due to the impacts of climate change, glaciers are melting. If the rivers become dry, the impact will not only be on food production and agriculture, but it will also have a serious impact on drinking water. The challenge faced by South Asia is how to prevent the glaciers from melting and how to preserve the snow capped mountains
South Asian cooperation
The South Asian nations also need to enhance cooperation among each other to reduce water induced disasters. Disasters are also on rise. Water induced disasters aggravate and inflate an already serious water and sanitation situation. It is very important that countries support each other to reduce the risk of disasters. If this is not possible at the political or governmental level, let civil society organizations get together and work for it.
Appropriate donor support
Most of the cities in South Asia have received support from donors like the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank to manage their water supply system. These systems have not been successful and problems have arisen. Can the South Asian nations collectively lobby those donors to provide support in the way the countries and its people want and not in the way they, the banks, want?
Environmental sanitation in urban slums
Urban slums are on the rise in the cities of South Asia. About 50–60% of the people in the big cities live in the slums. Access to toilets alone will not solve their sanitation issues. The definition of sanitation needs to be extended to include environmental sanitation. People living in the slums are exposed to critical health hazard risks due to the unhealthy environment around them. These issues need to be addressed by South Asian nations.
We must learn from each other
There are also successful examples from South Asia such as community-led total sanitation from Bangladesh and work in providing low cost sanitation / sewerage as well as many more. How much have we learned and shared experiences from each other? It is very important that we promote sharing and learning from each other.
Importance of gender
Lastly, women must be focused on at all the levels of planning and implementation in communities and cities as well as the national and regional level. The participation of women at the grassroots is key and they should play a central role in all programmes.
Find out more about the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) process on the official website
Email Lajana to find out more.