Save Water,Save Lives

Water is one of the most important resources for us all. Clean water, especially contamination-free water, will always be essential for a healthy life.

Unfortunately, access to clean water is still a major problem in South East Asia. UNICEF’s statistical report 2009 shows almost 50% of the developing world’s population lack improved sanitation facilities and over 884 million people still use unsafe drinking water sources.

According to the Minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water, YB Dato’ Sri Peter Chin Fah Kui, unsafe water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene habits play a major role in child mortality. Inadequate access to safe water and sanitation services coupled with poor hygiene practices kill and cause illnesses to thousands of children every day, and lead to impoverishment and diminished opportunities for thousands more. Recent reports by UNICEF has identified nearly 35% of the population of Cambodia living without clean water for drinking, and nearly 80% of the 72,000 child deaths each year is caused by waterborne illnesses.

Malaysia is considered a country ‘rich’ in water resources. However, unbalanced and uncontrolled development activities could risk depleting this most precious resource. The deterioration of river water quality can be attributed to the discharge of all sorts of pollutants such as domestic waste water, animal farming, sewage, land clearing, agricultural activities and manufacturing industries.

State Planning Unit (SPU) in collaboration with the Federal government, has coordinated a study under the Integrated Water Resource Management to ensure that clean water is distributed equally state-wide by the year 2050. As part of the study, Natural Resource and Environment Board (NREB) will constantly monitor river water quality by running the River Water Quality Monitoring Programme. NREB has implemented the programme since 1998.

This is in line with the State Government’s aspiration of maintaining the water quality of all rivers in Sarawak, andits efforts to ensure a balance in development activities, especially in rural areas upstream.

From this programme, researchers are able to identify specific existing or emerging water quality problems. They are also able to characterize river quality and identify changes or trends in water quality over time. Apart from that, the researchers are able to identify types of pollutants discharged into the rivers and possible sources of pollutants. Identification of pollutants is done by collecting samples from the rivers throughout Sarawak. The sampling would be collected on a monthly, bimonthly, quarterly and halfyear basis. After sampling is done, the researchers will analyse the water quality based on pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), sonductivity, turbifity, salinity and temperature.

Apart from that, the Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water, which was known in 2006 as the Ministry of Energy, Water and Communications, held a 24-month National Water Conservation Campaign. The main aim of this campaign was to create awareness, educate the community and school children on water conservation issues, to build capacity and train the local consumers about water saving.

If we are sensitive to our environment and protective of our planet, we should all do something about it. Water conservation begins at home. Conserving water does not require major challenge in lifestyle. It’s just a matter of using good common sense.