March 29, 2024

The immortal line “water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink” by the great English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge in his poem “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” came to mind when this near-sighted writer read in the March 27 editorial of the Manila Bulletin that in our beloved Philippines, despite being an archipelago and, thus, surrounded by water, an estimated one out of every 10 Filipinos are still deprived of access to clean, potable water resources. Shocking, isn’t it?
If my Math does not fail me, that’s millions of our countrymen facing this dire situation. Add to this already humongous number the millions (maybe even billions?) more of our fellow human beings around the world who also do not have access to clean, potable water resources, especially in Third World countries like the Philippines.
Since water is a basic necessity for human life, “water is life”, as the truism states, this is troubling indeed and is a world-wide challenge needing a world-wide solution. Enough of going to war against each other. Let’s all go to war against humanity’s problems instead like the lack of clean, potable water.
The editorial mentioned the United Nations observed World Water Day recently that highlighted the need for the sustainable management of water resources. The UN appealed for boosting international cooperation over how water is used and managed as this is the only way to prevent a global water crisis in the coming decades.
It further pointed out that “concerted action that is driven by inclusive stakeholder participation is characterized by the involvement of the end-users, improves the quality of water-related services and enhances the delivery of services that match the resources and needs of affected communities.”
Let’s all do our part in protecting vital water resources so that each and every one of us, and generations to come, can have access to life-giving water.
Cheers!