Your article, “Asia faces worsening water crisis” (The Star, Oct 13, 2010) is referred. I truly hope the article will ring some ‘alarm-bells’ in Malaysia.
Indeed Asia is facing a worsening water crisis that will severely impact food production especially with the rising population. The population of Asia has increased over the past decade on the same trend as the global population which has tripled in the 20th century but water consumption went up sevenfold. Sadly, the technology to increase water production has been stagnant over the past decade. Developing new water resources are increasingly expensive to develop.
Hence, the only solution to sustain the need of the current population and for the generations to come is to conserve and to control the overzealous deforestation that is wiping out the very resources that is required to generate water. It is alarming to note from the report of the Asia Development Bank that the water footprint in our towns and cities, in our irrigation systems, our energy production systems and in industry in general is extravagant. As populations grow and water use per person rises, demand for freshwater is soaring. Yet the supply of freshwater is finite and threatened by pollution. Agenda 21 of the Rio Declaration 1992 states that effectively integrated management of water resources is important to all socio-economic sectors.
Your article early this year on, “Global crisis of water scarcity” (The Star, March 1, 2010) reporte
d that a decade ago, it was predicted that a third of the world’s population would be facing water scarcity by 2025. Unfortunately, this threshold has already been reached. Today two billion people live in countries that are water-stressed and by 2025, two-thirds of the world population may suffer water stress, unless current trends alter.
Over here in Malaysia, we need to ring this ‘alarm-bells’ as well. There are already signs that are showing the catastrophe that Malaysia is heading if various stakeholders do not do their part to manage the water efficiently. This includes the mass population of the country. We need to stop wasting so much of the water.
Water resource demand has surpassed sustainable levels of supply in many areas as unbalanced economic development continues to degrade the water quality and the natural environment. Despite the well laid out plan in the Ninth Malaysia Plan in rehabilitation and modernisation of water supply systems, water resources development, water treatment and distribution and inter-state raw water transfer, the problem of water shortage in the country still remain at the critical level.
Malaysia is tropical and lush with enough water for its needs on an annual basis but tap water shortages still occur and water cuts are part of everyday life. The bottom line is people do not want to suffer a repeat of the 1998 crisis, which forced many hotels, restaurants and laundries to close down.
There has also been large amount of unplanned and unsustainable development in the highland forests in Malaysia, including inappropriate road building and excessive highland resort development. Excessive clearing of forests has led to the siltation of rivers and contamination of the water supply. Forest clearance has resulted in frequent occurrences of soil erosion and landslides. The quality of water gradually deteriorates due to siltation and pollution from the construction work of the highland roads, while poorly constructed roads contribute to soil erosion and water pollution.
It is amazing that in a country with high rainfall like Malaysia we maybe hit with severe water shortage if we keep taking for granted that water is in abundance. Levels at the dams continue to fall. It is quite obvious that poor management of our water resources is one of the main reasons for the crisis. El Nino has had little to do with this.
The catchment areas no longer retain water, as they should. Many reasons can be cited, probably all arising from lack of coordination between the state agencies. While one agency designates the catchment areas as reserves, another approves logging concessions on them. Yet others allow the development of forest-depleting golf courses and quarrying in catchment areas. Industries with potential to contaminate rivers that feed reservoirs are allowed to operate upstream. It is time to take a hard look at the utilization of land in and around catchment areas and come up with a clear and sensible policy.
The generous use of drinking water and leakage in pipelines and taps are among the major causes of water wastage, amounting to millions of litres per day in Malaysia. The use of drinking water in gardening, car washing and toilet flushing also add to the wastage of drinking water. Brackish water or treated sewage water can be used as substitutes for potable water for these purposes. Another cause of the problem is the mishandling of wastewater from raw sewage, industrial waste, and agriculture runoffs, which increase the contamination in natural sources of fresh water. Sewerage water, therefore, ought not be allowed to fall into the sea or rivers, but should be treated properly, and stored outside the cities or villages to be supplied back to the residents for use. The recycling of sewerage water and its storage outside the cities will raise ground water levels, and the treated solid waste is a natural fertilizer. While recycling sewer water and its accumulation may create waterlogging in some areas and increase the salinity of the soil, in most cases it will raise the water level and result in fertile soil.
Waterlogging and salinity may be controlled through the use of modern scientific technology.
The water wastage in the urban is more significant than in the rural. Thus, an effective and efficient urban water management system that is able to reduce water loss and increase water-use efficiency is the way forward. Hence, in the short-term water restriction mechanism must be put in place while a long term water conservation plan is a must. Water pricing need to be reevaluated as we are taking for granted on this precious resources. The water use efficiency need to be improved while efficient water recycling and harvesting technology need to be supported and encouraged.
Over the past few years, the Malaysian environment has continued to deteriorate and will further deteriorate if all parties do not take this crisis serious. The rapid growth prior to the economic crisis and the present economic recovery, whilst raising the GNP and incomes, has had a toll on the environment. Uncontrolled growth with scant regard for ecological principles continues to be the order of the day. Education and enforcement are two vital approaches that must be used to change the mindset of the people. Only then can the understanding of essential link between polluted water resources, potable water, flood woes and good management can go hand in hand. The world needs to understand that at the pace we are wasting water today, the Third World War will be fought over water in this century. I certainly do not want to be in that generation when water becomes as precious as oil.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vikneswaran Nair
Taylor’s University
Subang Jaya
