Water and Sustainability - Term Paper Example

WATER AND SUSTAINABILITY The global human population in most part of the twentieth century was supported by the appropriate water strategies adoptedat the international level, with regard to the supply of food, clean drinking water, electricity as well as flood control. Such policies and approaches were, to a larger extent, centered on engineering projects associated with storage, extraction and management of water for the general good of the entire human population. Managing and administering the world population comprising of over 6.8 billion people (U.S. Census Bureau, 2009)and over 70 trillion USD ((C.I.A. World Fact Book, 2009), worth of global economy, devoid of water projects such as dams, reservoirs, pumps, canals and other similar infrastructure properly in place, is unimaginable. However, such water projects have often failed miserably to allocate the impartial assistance to people thereby leading to the steady and outright deterioration of natural freshwater bodies, which otherwise could have offered valuable economic contributions for the betterment of the society (Postel et al, 2005). Furthermore, as the risks associated with the steadily declining environmental conditions and the ensuing global warming continue to persist the need for the establishment and development of a robust framework continues to rise simultaneously. Extensive research focusing and elaborating the significance and need of the freshwater bodies have expanded considerably during the past decade, although such critical information and knowledge gained has not been integrated so far, for the development of an efficient water management framework. However certain countries and regions such as North America, Chile, South Africa, the E.U. and Australia among others are an exception to this general rule, since these regions have witnessed the successful establishment of appropriate policies and approaches aimed at preventing the deterioration of freshwater and protecting the environment from further damage. In the face of adversities, and innumerable setbacks in the form of political and socio-economic measures, these policies are indicative of a struggle at the international level, to ensure better management of water together with the protection of the priceless ecosystems. Many water experts in the U.S. and other countries have argued that water markets, tradable water rights, and related economic approaches are important policy tools for improving the long-term sustainability of water uses and ecosystems. The pros and cons of this statement is discussed hereunder: Water in existing times, has become an extremely rare and hence precious commodity, which supports the basic survival and sanitation needs of billions of people across the globe. The current issues related to environmental degradation which has taken a toll on global water bodies, has confronted the human population with strategic issues related essential for the sustenance of life on earth. Historical evidence warrants the fact that an improved framework of water management can lead to global, local and regional resolution of water conflicts thereby leading to provision of clean and safe drinking water and other issues related to the overall development of mankind. Furthermore, effective and systematic water management policies helps in developing a framework which seeks to guide the administrative bodies in dealing with serious water related concerns such as water scarcity; improving service efficiency; ensuring better and fair allocation of water among regions; preventing water conflicts; and seeking objectives aimed at environmental protection. However, granting water rights to private individuals / organizations would result in sharing the public resource i.e. water for private use, which may lead to conflicts which is evident from the specially established water courts which deals with water disputes (World Bank Publications, 2008). One of the basic limitations of the water rights is the monopolization of water rights. Such cases have been reported in Chile (The World Bank Report, Pp.108). According to Postel & Richter (2003): "The principle of the public trust offers a good foundation for a code of water ethics in the twenty first century. Making it a practical guide, however requires some pragmatic rules and tools" (Pp. 119) Thus, proper management of water resources is extremely essential to avoid water disputes, non compliance of which may lead to chaos and conflicts. The following cases illustrate the manner in which water markets and tradable water rights were managed in countries like U.S., Australia and Chile. Examples: Australia The Murray-Darling river basis is the largest water market in the country and a strong representative of the implementation of an advanced system with regard to tradable water rights in the world. The basin supports Australia’s most crucial agricultural regions in the catchment area covering four key states including new South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Queensland (states including new South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Queensland). However despite such seemingly effective water management framework, there is evidence which suggests that the water resources in this basin are acutely over allocated consequently over used (Connell, 2007). Of the various causes that led to such a misallocation of water resources, some of the key reasons include exclusive rights over allocation of water vested in the States, each of which were actively involved in fostering their individual economic and social development, in the major part of the twentieth century. Continued mismanagement of one of the country’s finest and most crucial water resources, against the backdrop of environmental degradation, could lead to a serious blow to its economic development. Water Markets in Chile Studies centered on the management of water markets in Chile can be broadly categorized into two distinct groups, primarily owing to their widely differing views. While on one hand a set of researchers stated that the water markets in Chile were extremely well managed and has led to positive outcomes with regard to effectiveness and efficiency in providing and allocation of fresh water amongst its citizens (Hearne and Easter, 1995; Thobani, 1997); further leading to overall development in the field of agricultural production particularly during the last century, the other group of researchers refute this claim stating that the development of water markets and tradable water rights in the country displayed a strong preference for allocation of private rights to individuals, thereby resulting in acute problems such as hoarding and biased allocation which are difficult to resolve (Bauer, 1995). The interesting aspect of these contrasting arguments lies in the fact that the opposing views are restricted to the private control granted over the use of resources rather than the water markets itself. Water Markets in the U.S. Water management and development of water markets is not new in the U.S.. The country is home to one of the oldest forms of such administrative allocation of natural resources which is evident from the existence of large number of such governing bodies which have been actively involved in ensuring adequate and appropriate allocation of water to areas experiencing acute water shortages along with safeguarding the environment. The Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District (NCWCD) and the California Drought Water Bank are some such examples of water markets existing in the United States. The NCWCD is one of the most active water markets in Colorado and is responsible in allocating water from the Colorado Big Thompson Project to the west and north-eastern regions. This project allows the selling, buying and leasing of water rights in and around the region. The California Drought Water Bank on the other hand, is one of the country’s finest drought management policies which work efficiently for public and private good. It is probably the only buyer which buys water from irrigation districts having a surplus and sells the same to those regions experiencing water shortages. In this manner, the body successfully attends to water issues faced by the population within its region and strives to provide effective and adequate services to the people (OECD, 2002). According to Postel & Richter, at the beginning of their chapter on river governance (p.167): An examination of any persistent conflict over water allocation or use almost always turns up two common ingredients: first, not everyone affected by the decision in question has had a say in making it; and second, the decision reflects the politics of power and influence rather than the broader public good.” Postel and Richter defined the term ‘Governance’ as a combination of a community’s policies and laws and using such policies, laws and regulations for the best interest of the people. With regard to river basins and management of water markets, a good governance would be indicative of an all-inclusive policy which offers equal rights and opportunities for all the stakeholders in the community to offer their suggestions and share their concerns over issues related to allocation and use of natural resources, which are critical for their sustenance. However in a majority of countries, which are involved in allocation and sharing of natural resources, particularly water, by way of water markets and establishment of tradable water rights, such an ‘all inclusive’ policy which advocates active involvement and participation of all the key stakeholders is largely ignored and decisions are highly centralized. Water is perceived as an important tool for fostering economic development in the society and hence decisions related to it are largely and often unfairly biased – to serve the society’s economic interest rather than the individual interest and the interests of the environment. Also, the decision making is mainly left to a select few, who have the power or influence the decisions for instance, the technical engineers who have an understanding of the know-how and hence an unfair advantage to sway the decision to suit their personal interests. Although governing bodies have ensured an occasional public participation in the decision making, such participation was restricted mainly to the issues prior to the establishment of the project rather than during or post completion stages. In fact, any kind of disagreement over the management of such projects is rarely tolerated and for the most part, simply ignored. Several countries in fact, have indulged in strict top-down approach to decision making especially with respect to water projects as it fetches them power, influence and control thereby proving that the water management, although an initiative for public good rarely remains so. The blatant disregard for public opinion is also apparent and alive within the U.S. systems as well, where such decisions are controlled by powerful water bureaucracies such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation (Pp. 168 – 169). References: Anderson, T. L., Snyder, P., (1991). Water Markets: Priming the Invisible Pump, Cato Institute, Pp. 194 Bauer, C.J., 1997. Bringing Water Markets Down to Earth: The Political Economy of WaterRights in Chile, 1976-95. World Development 25(5): Pp. 639-56 C.I.A. World Fact Book, (2009). World Economy: Overview [online], Available: < https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/xx.html > Connell, D., (2007). Water Politics in the Murray-Darling Basin, Federation Press, Pp. 153 Hearne, R. R., Easter, W., (1995). Water Allocation and Water Markets: An Analysis of Gains-from-trade in Chile, World Bank Publications, Vol. 23, Issue 315, Pp. 4 OECD, (2002). Implementing Domestic Tradeable Permits: Recent Developments and Future Challenges, OECD Publishing, Pp. 231 - 234 Postel, S., Mastny, L., (2005). Liquid Assets: The Critical Need to Safeguard Freshwater Ecosystems, Worldwatch Institute, Pp. 5 - 11 Postel, S., Richter, B. D., (2003). Rivers for Life: Managing Water for People and Nature, Island Press, Pp. 119 - 120 Thobani, M., 1995. Formal Water Markets: Why, When, and How to Introduce TradableWater Right. The World Bank Research Observer. 12 (2): Pp. 161-79 The World Bank Report, (2008a). Addressing Chinas Water Scarcity: Recommendations for Selected Water Resource Management Issues, World Bank Publications, Pp. 73 The World Bank Report (1999b). The Irrigation Sector: South Asia Rural Development Series, World Bank Publications, Pp. 108 U.S. Census Bureau, (2009). Monthly World Population Figures [online], Available: < http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/popclockworld.html> Read More