10 november 2017_final

Non-Aligned Movement concerned at
increasing water pollution
By IINS Research Team
Over two thirds of Earth’s surface is covered by water;
less than a third is taken up by land. As Earth’s
population continues to grow, people are putting everincreasing
pressure on the planet’s water resources. In
a sense, our oceans, rivers, and other inland waters are
being “squeezed” by human activities—not so they take
up less room, but so their quality is reduced. Poorer
water quality means water pollution.
Our rivers, lakes, aquifers, and coastal waters aren’t
unlimited resources that can handle whatever we take
out or dump in. These waters need protection. The
populace needs to understand the urgent call for doing
so before they run out of the source that sustains most
life on the planet and NAM has taken it upon itself to
illuminate the masses.
News From Non -Aligned World
Most of its states have been on the verge of either
water scarcity problem or issues of impure water
complicating the matter further. Desalination plants
are an overuse of water resources in the Middle East.
70% of desalination plants in the world are located in
this area, found mostly in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait
and Bahrain. These Gulf countries are famous as oil
export countries that make the climate harsh and
may cause of falling level of water. GCC governments
have earmarked more than $100 billion in their water
sectors between 2011 and 2016 to improve desalination
technologies involving solar energy, and maximize on
wastewater treatments and recycling.
The Arab world is likely to witness a vulnerable water
crisis around 2025 unless efficient guiding mechanisms
A country is said to experience water stress when annual
water supplies drop below 1,700 cubic meters per
person. When supplies drop below 1,000 cubic meters
per person per year, the country faces water scarcity
for all. Population Action International (PAI) estimated
that 31 countries, half a billion people, regularly faced
rather water stress or water scarcity. In 2025, 48
countries in which about 3 billion people are living will
face water shortages. By 2050, 54 countries containing
4 billion people, or 40 per cent of the projected world
population of 9.4 billion, will have a shortage of water.
In 1999, some 400 of 600 major Chinese cities were
suffering from severe water crisis. Of these, 30 cities
in northern China, including Beijing, was facing longterm
shortages severe enough to limit their economic
development.
NAM in its last two summits has convened a table to
discuss the issue of water crisis and the escalating
water pollution which threatens most if its member
states. The crisis is serious it states and demands each
country to take measures to conserve water through
methods of rain water harvesting and planting more
trees along with keeping a regular tab on underground
water-level so to device measures to replenish them
when reaches danger levels. It urges them accordingly
distribute water in their particular regions, while
educating its masses to not only conserve water but be
also able to produce it through various steps to do so.
“NAM in its last two summits has convened a table to
discuss the issue of water crisis and the escalating
water pollution which threatens most if its member
states. The crisis is serious it states and demands
each country to take measures to conserve water
through methods of rain water harvesting and
planting more trees along with keeping a regular tab
on underground water-level so to device measures to
replenish them when reaches danger levels”
for sustainable water management and measures
to reduce the agricultural consumption of water are
applied. The UAE has planned several wastewater
treatment and recycling projects to improve water
management practices in order to meet rising demand
of this scarce and costly resource. An important goal of
the World Water Assessment Programme, founded in
2000 by Non-aligned movement within the Commission
on Sustainable Development, is therefore to assist
governments in developing and implementing their
national water management plans. Although progress
is being made in some areas, such as the recognition
of water rights, other needed reforms - such as
decentralization - have been slow to come.NAM member
countries have adopted several other sustainable
strategies to reduce water consumption and wastage
as well. Water is crucial for life and so needs much
attention from every member country to deal efficiently
towards resolving the crisis and also decentralization of
water is important to deal with the problem of scarcity.
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10 November - 9 December, 2017