Government responsibility and government action

Government Responsibility

Many individuals and groups will have a short-term view on the use of fresh water. Corporations and other businesses, for example, often have duties to their shareholders, which can result in short-term actions. Ideally, it is governments which should consider the long-term and act accordingly, as they are ultimately responsible for implementing plans to manage the use of fresh water. Water is generally considered a basic requirement for survival, and therefore governments have a responsibility to provide their citizens with access to fresh water for the long-term.

Democracies

Democracies consist of government officials elected by the public. The responsibility for electing representatives in a democratic country is initially placed in the hands of the general population through elections. Problems can arise because the majority of the public is often unaware of all the information and facts regarding the issue of access to fresh water.

For many of the larger democratic or semi-democratic countries worldwide, the issue of fresh water access may not come to the forefront until the public is truly concerned, which, ultimately, could be too late. As for non-democratic governments, if the pressure of public opinion is of no concern to the officials, then they have little incentive to make changes other than the pressure of doing what is 'right'. All government officials, however, have an economic responsibility to safeguard their resources for the long-term.

Government Action

UNEP and Agenda 21

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) introduced Agenda 21 at the 1992 UN Conference Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Agenda 21 addresses key environmental and human rights issues including combating poverty, promoting sustainable agricultural practices and protecting the quality and supply of fresh water resources. UNEP has realised many of these issues need to be addressed at a local level in order to start making a global change. UNEP has provided an outline of recommended actions to be taken by governments in order to effectively address the issues of Agenda 21.

International Conference on Fresh Water 2001

The International Conference on Fresh Water dealt with the issues and perspectives regarding fresh water access. Government officials, international agencies and other groups all participated at the Conference. The progress of Agenda 21 was reviewed, improvements for water governance were considered and the issues of water pollution prevention and water use reduction were discussed. The Conference also produced a framework for various actions that can be taken to help alleviate poverty, improve water management and promote the sustainable global use of fresh water.

China

The population increase in major cities, such as Beijing, has resulted in industrial expansion and increased water consumption. The Yellow River in northern China often runs completely dry in the hot season because it has been over used. In 2000, the Prime Minister of China agreed to the proposal to divert water from parts of the Yangtze River basin to the Yellow River in the dry northern regions.

The diversion takes water from the wet south to the dry north through a system of canals and reservoirs. There are potential dangers to the environment, such as the threat to wildlife. Agricultural practices may also suffer from water logging of the soil. Water logging can increase the salinity of the water and the surrounding soil. Many people are critical of the choice to divert water, rather than implement better conservation and irrigation practices. Refer Image 2

Pakistan

The Ministry of the Environment in Pakistan has recently agreed to legislation that requires safe drinking water to be allotted to every citizen of Pakistan in all urban and rural areas. The Drinking Water Quality Standards Act 2006 (PK) is part of the National Drinking Water Policy. The Act states that clean drinking water is a basic human right and it is the responsibility of the local and federal government bodies to provide access to fresh water for their citizens. Amounts of water have been allotted for rural and urban areas on a daily basis. The legislation includes guidelines for implementing and maintaining these practices. There are also plans to set-up hand pumps, water mains and sewage lines in rural areas.

Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act 1974(USA)

The Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act 1974 (USA) requires the salinity of the Colorado River to stay below a designated maximum salinity level. The upper part of the river was overused by Colorado and Utah. This caused the more southern states along the river, as well as Mexico, to suffer the effects of increased salinity. A testing station has been established at a point downstream to measure the salinity levels of the river. The US Federal Government oversees the salinity level results from the testing station. Refer Image 3