ourENVIRONMENT

WHERE HAS ALL THE WATER GONE?
Three of the five warmest winters have been the last three winters (1997/98, 1999/2000, and 1998/99 ranked 2nd, 4th, and 5th respectively). Dry conditions were more prevalent than wet over Canada last winter. The winter of 1999/2000 ranked as the 27th driest, 1.6% below normal, out of the 53-year period of record. Statistics show the wettest winter was 1964/65 (+19.4%) and the driest was 1977/78 (-20.1%).

Statistics show that most winters since 1981 have been drier than normal. (It should be noted that "normal" precipitation in northern Canada is generally much less than it is in southern Canada, and hence a percent departure in the north represents much less difference in actual precipitation than the same percentage in the south. The national precipitation rankings are therefore often skewed by the northern departures and do not represent rankings for the volume of water falling on the country.)

Two thirds of the planet is covered by water. About 97 percent of this water is stored in the oceans in a saline form. Of the remaining three percent fresh water, 75 percent is stored as ice in the polar regions and is generally unavailable. Thus, only one percent of all water is free-flowing fresh water. 98.8 percent of this lies at a considerable depth in the subsurface. Only 1.2 percent of the available fresh water at a given time is in the form of surface water, unevenly distributed in lakes, rivers, clouds, ground water, and biological organisms.

Water is a unique natural resource, because it moves. It flows from one country into another, sometimes through several countries. Like oil, water is a strategic resource. In regions where there is a shortage of water, it is often a source of tension between countries. In some areas, such as the Middle East, these conflicts even have the potential of ending in armed confrontation. A long term settlement between Israel and its neighbours will depend at least as much on fair allocation of water as of land. Syria and Iraq watch and wait as Turkey builds dams upstream on the Euphrates, while Egypt fears appropriation of the waters of the Nile by Sudan and Ethiopia. The way rivers are used in one country can have far-reaching effects on downstream countries.

Almost forty percent of the world's population live in international river basins being dependent on the co-operation of the countries sharing the basin for water supply and quality. Large-scale irrigation or the damming of a major river can bring prosperity and growth to one country, while threatening countries further down the river with ecological and economic disaster. Upstream countries can control the amount of water reaching countries further downstream, either reducing it, causing water shortages, or increasing it, causing floods. The Farraka Barrage which is located between India and Bangladesh is a good example. In the dry season, the barrage blocks the natural flow of the Ganges into Bangladesh to provide irrigation water in India, causing drastic water shortage in western Bangladesh. In the rainy season, sudden flood releases without warning has caused extensive social damages, including the loss of human lives.

Similarly, upstream countries can be affected by the development in downstream countries. For example, the reclamation and replanting of wetlands and coastal mangroves has dramatic effects upstream, socially and ecologically. There are numerous international disputes related to water and river basins. One recent example is the dispute between Thailand and Vietnam based on Thailand's plans to divert water from the Mekong river system for irrigation purposes. In 1992, Thailand tried to force a complete restructuring of the Mekong Committee, which supervises the development and use of the Mekong river. This move was designed to end the veto powers of other countries over the Kong Chi Moon project, which is supposed to divert water from the Mekong to irrigate Thailand's arid north-east region. Vietnam has protested against the project because the diversion could disrupt the flow into the Mekong delta in southern Vietnam.

Well the government of Canada also seems concerned with its watery future. We've passed a number of accords and agreements limiting, and in some cases prohibiting, the bulk removal of water from any of the drainage basins or water sheds that dot the landscape. Government also clarified the NAFTA agreement to define water as a non- product, and therefore unaffected by any previous trade agreements.

In February 1999, Canada and the United States asked the IJC to investigate and make recommendations on the implications of water consumption, diversion and removals in the Great Lakes. The IJC reference was one component of Canada's three-pronged strategy to prohibit bulk water removal out of Canadian watersheds. The other two components of the strategy are the amendments to the International Boundary Waters Treaty Act (Bill C-15), and the development of a Canada-wide accord with provincial and territorial governments to prohibit water removals out of Canadian watersheds. The IJC is an independent, bi-national Canada-U.S. organization established under the 1909 Boundary Waters Treaty. It assists Canada and the U.S. in managing waters along the border for the benefit of both countries. And just what is this International Boundary Waters Treaty anyway. Well, written in 1909 and agreed to by both King Edward VII, and American president Teddy Roosevelt, the agreement attempts to clarify such issues as transportation rights and the rights of commerce. It goes on to say that no one can divert waters away from any business relying on them and if damages occur, said company can claim any losses or pursue any legal means to recoup them. But that wouldn't prohibit any canal development or massive dredging, as long as it was carried out on the right side of the border.

Simply, the world must stop wasting and misusing water or face ever-sharper challenges to agriculture, industry and health in water-short regions, according to the World Bank. Some 80 nations holding 40 percent of the world's population now experience water shortages, according to the Bank, which has lent $36 billion since 1950 on water projects in the developing world. Nonetheless, one billion people lack access to safe drinking water in the developing world, and up to 10 million people die annually due to diseases caused by dirty water, the United Nations says. Ismail Serageldin, World Bank vice president for sustainable development, said in an interview with Reuters Aug. 4, that water problems in most nations arise from inefficient and unsustainable use of supplies, not paltry flows.

There are a number of ways to attack the problem. Agriculture, which consumes 90 percent of water used in developing nations, could shift to less-wasteful types of irrigation. Research also could develop crop varieties that need less water. Cities and industry also can stretch water supplies. One way is to expand wastewater treatment. In many nations, only a small fraction of sewage is treated. Privatization could play a major role, Serageldin said, because private suppliers would have leaner staffs, more motivation to reach customers and the ability to set progressive tariffs on water.

The task of providing fresh water to all people in the world is becoming ever more challenging, says the United Nations, and nations must plan now how they will manage water resources efficiently - possibly at a greater cost. One recent study by the United Nations and Stockhold Environment Institute warned that, unless major action is taken, two-thirds of the world's people will live in countries facing severe water problems by the year 2025. ''We must ensure adequate drinking water for everyone in the world,'' argued Cielito Habito, secretary of socio-economic planning for the Philippines and the chair of the current CSD session. To accomplish that goal, he said, ''we have to make sure that the cost of providing water is fully borne by someone.'' A recent survey of water projects by the World Bank contended that the average price charged for water only accounted for one- third of the cost of supplying it. The rest of the cost is subsidised by governments - not always to the advantage of the poorest groups, some experts argue. ''The poor have to pay, as everyone does, for water - but they have to pay through higher prices from water vendors,'' claimed Ande de Moor, an expert at the Public Expenditures Research Institute who has studied the environmental effects of subsidies. ''The rich people and the better-off are connected to the (water) systems,'' while utility companies and governments often neglect the poorest groups from connection to water supplies, de Moor told IPS. Removing 'hidden' subsidies on water by adopting fairer water pricing could go a long way in helping to ensure that everyone can receive potable water, he said. So could we as Canadians find ourselves in the same predicament? Only time will tell. Our constant use and reliance on water ways for both agriculture and transportation are being threatened daily. Water is a basic necessity of life, not only for people but for every type of plant and animal as well. Water accounts for about 65% of our body weight. If we lost as little as 12% of it, we would soon die. Now, the question begs, how resilient is our planet?

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