by Professor Dato Dr. Ahmad Ibrahim,
Klang Valley folks face water disruption again. The water supply stoppage, which keeps recurring, is not a good sign for a nation aiming to in the developed nation league. Bad smell is again the reason for the stoppage. What is disturbing is that, why are we not investing in better treatment technology to automatically remove the smell and therefore minimise disruption? We know fully well that it is almost impossible to completely remove odour contamination from our water intake point. There are many unscruplous factory operators out there who lack the civic consciousness to not discharge untreated stuff into the river. Disregard for the environment is still rampant.
We should be mindful that water resources throughout the world are under constant threat. The World Bank has reported that water scarcity, made worse by climate change, could cost some regions up to 6% of their GDP. It could spark conflict. The combined effects of growing populations, rising incomes, and expanding cities will see demand for water rising exponentially, while supply becomes more erratic and uncertain. Unless action is taken soon, water will become scarce in regions where it is currently abundant like ours, and scarcity will greatly worsen in regions where water is already in short supply. These affected regions could see their growth rates decline by as much as 6% of GDP by 2050 due to water-related impacts on agriculture, health, and incomes. We are still in the water rich regions of the world. But we already see signs of water supply disturbance because of pollution and the poor management of our river basins.
The report further warned that water insecurity could amplify the risk of conflict in the region. Food price spikes caused by droughts can inflame otherwise dormant conflicts. Where economic growth is impacted by rainfall, episodes of droughts and floods have generated waves of migration and spikes in violence within countries. The negative impacts of climate change on water could be neutralized with better policy decisions, with some regions standing to improve their growth rates by up to 6% with better water resource management. Improved water stewardship pays high economic dividends according to the report. When governments respond to water shortages by boosting efficiency and allocating even 25% of water to more highly valued uses, such as more efficient agricultural practices, losses would decline dramatically and, in some regions, losses may even vanish.
In the world’s extremely dry regions, the report said more far-reaching policies are needed to avoid inefficient water use. Stronger policies and reforms are needed to cope with deepening climate stresses. Policies and investments that can help lead countries to more water secure and climate-resilient economies include better planning for water resource allocation, adoption of incentives to increase water efficiency, and investments in infrastructure for more secure water supplies and availability. Effective water research is a prerequisite. These would include research on water treatment systems, wastewater management, water saving technologies in manufacturing and households, governance of water resources and development of new water sources including the marine water.
In order to gain from water research the ecosystem must be robust. The linkages between government, academia, applied research entities and the water industry must be strong. Such linkages are rather weak in the country at the moment. Much of the water research are done by the academia, especially in the universities. But most such research are driven for academic publication in journals. Few reach the commercial industry sector. Government policies are also lacking in inputs from the water business. Such unhealthy disconnect warrants change. The applied research on water conducted by NAHRIM, for example, should be industry driven. NAHRIM is a powerless government department. It should be more empowered to coordinate the nation’s water research programs. Water research at the universities must also be strongly linked to NAHRIM. The board of NAHRIM must have strong industry representation, so that research topics have industry relevance. More applied water research groups should be established in the nation’s water research alliance. Failure to create such ecosystem would not augur well in safeguarding the countrys water resources. We need to beef up our water research.
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