CONCERNING our water problems, we must, first of all, not consider ourselves in isolation. There are one billion people in the developing world who have no access to clean and safe drinking water.
As has been said, we need to plan effectively for such a situation, in considering that water shortage can be caused by climate changes, altered weather patterns such as droughts or floods, increased pollution and overuse of water. We depend on groundwater sources for our supply, as does half of the world, and proper monitoring is a prerequisite to meeting our demands.
More hotels are being constructed, as well as more housing developments, and other demands are being made on a source that is not inexhaustible. As a matter of fact, it is predicted that some way in the future, wars may take place over this very important human need.
I wonder as we dump molasses, garbage and so on in our old quarries, could we not harness the excess run-off when we have heavy rain and treat the water for agricultural usage, flushing toilets and such applications? We also have plenty of seawater around us – why not have more desalination facilities?
In closing, I congratulate [Minister of Water Resource Management] Dr David Estwick for his very pellucid proposals which, if applied, would see our future in terms of water resources well established.
– JOHN TAYLOR
