Could the world survive a day without water?
View(s):Interesting discussion on water management trends on Apr. 30
Could the world survive a day without water . or coming close to home, can Sri Lankans be without water for a day?
This is the theme of an interesting discussion titled ‘A Day without Water:
Managing Sri Lanka’s Water Resource’ organized by the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute for International Relations and Strategic Studies and to be held in its auditorium on April 30.
The event is also being organized in the backdrop of the International Water Day which fell on March 22 and to mark the International Year of Water Cooperation – 2013.
The seminar with the involvement of academics, practitioners and policy makers will provide a forum to share information on Sri Lanka’s water table, dangers it faces and nexus between water, food, gender and energy. It will contribute to engage in a critical evaluation of Sri Lanka’s efforts to ensure right to water and debate and discuss various water related problems, the institute said.
Increasing demand for water with rapid water pollution on one hand and consequences of the climate change on the other is going to be one of the greatest challenges faced by us in the coming decade. Rapid economic growth in the developing countries has very high environmental costs. Unsustainable practices to spur economic growth have deteriorated ‘water security’ in these regions, a statement from the institute said.
Prevailing gender gaps have further complicated the situation given the policy making bodies are yet to recognize the importance in addressing gender issues in water management, it said.
“Even though Sri Lanka is not categorized as a region highly stressed for water, we are beginning to be affected negatively by drastic impacts of climate change, poor water management, and pollution. Apart from the changes in the monsoon cycles and resultant droughts Sri Lanka has being facing a number of water related issues,” it said.
According to the Asian Water Development Outlook 2013, Sri Lanka fares badly in terms of overall piped water access (29 per cent) and urban waste water treatment (32 per cent). Furthermore, Sri Lanka is ranked ‘hazardous’ in terms of ‘environment water security’ and ‘urban water security’. In addition, there is a lot to be done regarding improving resilience to water related disasters. For a country which depends on external supplies of fossil fuels to meet its energy requirements, Sri Lanka has not fully utilized its potential in generating hydroelectricity, the statement added.
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