EDITORIAL - World Water Day

Remember the good old days? In 1992, when the United Nations General Assembly declared March 22 of each year as World Water Day, Filipinos could still drink water straight from the tap without worrying about getting sick. These days there’s a dealer of bottled water in every neighborhood, and the stuff has become more expensive than your favorite soft drink. Did Filipinos become more conscious about health? Was there an outbreak of water-borne diseases? Whatever the reason, the bottled water industry continues to boom, and the cost of this most basic of human requirements keeps going up.

It’s not just clean drinking water that’s becoming more precious. For all the ongoing installation of those massive pipes for Metro Manila’s water supply, the growing demand for potable water can’t be met. The problem isn’t unique to the Philippines. Studies show that about eight percent of the world’s population of six billion live without adequate water. The figure is expected to grow to 25 percent within a few decades as world population grows by an average of 370,000 daily and sources of water continue to dwindle.

The average daily consumption of every person is two liters of drinking water. Add water requirements for bathing, cooking and doing the laundry, and consumption could go up to approximately 50 liters a day per person. Analysts warn that with six billion people, it won’t be long before wars are fought over water.

Some countries such as Singapore have started tackling the problem by actively encouraging their citizens to conserve water. But in an archipelago of 7,100 islands, it may be difficult to convince people of the need to conserve water. Despite public indifference, however, a program to conserve water must be launched soon. The program must include the preservation of the country’s dwindling watersheds as well as more efficient methods of using water for purposes such as irrigation. Public cooperation can be encouraged if people are reminded that wasteful water consumption can soon lead to supply shortages and spiralling water bills. This is another looming crisis that calls for effective management.