The 6th Conference of the International Society

for Integrated Disaster Risk Management (IDRiM Oct 29th 2015)

Paper Author: Garry de la Pomerai

DRR Consultant
'SOLUZION SYSTEMS'
Dubai, U.A.E.
soluzioninfo@soluzionsystems.com / soluzioninfo@aol.com
Conference sector:

Growth, Environment and Disasters

Presentation title: Water Resource Management. Earths Nemesis

Each year urban development increases. The Population grows. Expectations rise. But the earth's water resource
remains the same and its quality and its management deteriorates. Put into context, it is established that 97.5% of all
water on Earth is salt water, leaving only 2.5% as fresh water . Nearly 70% of that fresh water is frozen in the icecaps of
Antarctica and Greenland; most of the remainder is present as soil moisture, or lies in deep underground aquifers as
groundwater not accessible to human use. Less than 1% of the world's fresh water (approximately 0.007% of all water
on earth) is accessible for direct human uses. Agriculture across Asia extracts 80% of its fresh water for irrigation using
often archaic systems wasting vast quantities, it being estimated that 40% of irrigation water doesn't reach the plant.
Industry continues to dump, disproportionately polluting vast water resources to what it beneficially produces to
society. Water being taken for granted as a given right to use as required and not as a precious resource to which they
have a responsibility to protect and enhance.
"By the year 2030 the World Economic Forum calculates that there will be a 40% deficit in the available of fresh water
to the actual needs of the global population" This is predominantly due to our useage patterns. Flushing a pint of
discharge with two gallons of drinking water. Washing the ever increasing cars with drinking water from the tap hose
and luxuriating in 20 minute showers within our new urban dwellings.
These trends are enforced by UNHABITAT's forecast that within the next 30 years, the present urban footprint will
simultaneously double, to the water resource diminishing. Consequently it is now essential that we review our local,
national and global strategies towards water resource management.
The consequences of urban growth, increased industry needs, climate change moving precipitation zones and increasing
drought within the normal productive lands, will generate food security issues and financial pressure upon governments
and sustainability challenges for its people and will be the potential source of conflict between nations and
communities.
Already we see Supreme Court battles in the USA between States arguing the rights to water.
Kansas v Nebrasca 2015 re access to subterrain waters
http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/14pdf/126orig_olq2.pdf
Arizona v California https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arizona_v._California re access to Colorado river
Three states have made it illegal to collect water off private roof gutters without payment.
There are also examples of where companies are obligated to use target amounts of water, whether they need it or not,
to satisfy commercial treatment and management quotas. In the USA there are grandfather rights to water that ensure
that the few don't have any obligation to share with the rest. Many Western states, including Utah, Washington and
Colorado, have long outlawed individuals from collecting rainwater on their own properties because, according to
officials, that rain belongs to someone else.
Ref: Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/029286_rainwater_collection_water.html#ixzz3peKw54i8
Cross border disputes between countries include Iraq within its neighbours Syria and Turkey over the damming of the
Euphrates and Tigress rivers. India and Pakistan over the Indus. Egypt and Sudan over the Nile
In Delhi, water mafias have taken control of the acquisition and distribution of water in the poorer area of the city,
holding people to ransom, fill a gap where government was slow to react and provide a basic resource. About 20% of
Delhi's population have no access to piped water and have to be supplied by water tankers. But the difference between
demand and supply is more than 750 million litres a day. "There's a long-term impact too. The mafia is drawing out
water from India's groundwater, which is slowly being critically depleted. If unchecked it could lead to a potentially
devastating social and economic cost."
Ref: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-33671836

In Malaysia, According to a report by journalist Patrick Lee of the Star Online, 4.27 billion litres of treated water goes to
waste from Malaysias water supply system every day. And this is all because of old and leaky pipes.
This staggering amount is enough to keep the state of Perlis running for 53 days!
Ref: http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2014/09/04/Water-waste-via-leaky-pipes-427-billion-litres-lost-dailyenough-to-supply-Perlis-for-53-days/

The 6th Conference of the International Society

for Integrated Disaster Risk Management (IDRiM Oct 29th 2015)
Its been claimed that one CEO in the US stated that he thought no one has the right to free water. Actually the Nestle
CEO was discussing sustainability of water infrastructure investment and water supply and was misquoted as saying "no
one is entitled to free water". His stance and commitment is in fact healthy and correct.
He agrees that we must ensure that everyone has the access to water for drinking and sanitation, but correctly
addresses the challenge of how to make this possible with an increasing population and yet a dwindling resource.
Investment must be made and therefore paid for.
Maybe if we started with the industries who use most and do not recycle the water to an acceptable reuse standard,
should in fact pay a premium for their water. The consumer then becomes more aware of where responsibilities lay and
their contribution to the diminishing water resources by creating 'high water usage product demand'.
There has to be an Understanding of water resource sustainability via investment into ground analysis, larger geo
recycling systems, with catchment and distribution being an essential contribution towards a local, regional and national
strategy. Rain enhancement technologies are now surfacing as competent options to be included within water resource
management where climate change is moving precipitation boundaries away from traditional agricultural productive
and fertile lands. Climate is only changing, which we 'can' adapt to, but its our manmade environment which is spiraling
to destruction, engulfing our water resources with no degradable waste and plastics and contaminates.
Water resource mismanagement and commercial greed, ill conceived and outdated laws, combined with consistent
urban growth, increasing population, desecrating rural degradation, increased rural economic migration trends and
climate change generally, bodes not well for future generations. Water is earths nemesis. Water sustainability must be
the top priority.
It is water resource 'management' that can solve most issues, as individuals in our homes or sensibly between two
States in Court. Corporations must not be allowed to take further control. Access to water must be sacrosanct. But how
we use it, is everyones responsibility.
There is good research in the field reviewing alternative crops to those needing excessive water, for growing
simultaneous crops and crops with enhanced irrigation waters.
We need to understand the types of differences of crops and their roots systems and water requirements. Ancient
irrigation systems and methods need to re-addressed. Rice for example, does not need to be grown in submerged
waters system. It actually thrives in dry irrigated soil. But the flooded terraces feed lower users with alternate crops,
and they have become reliant upon the dynamics of a traditional water distribution system. Fine where there is plenty
of water, but for example countries using canal flood systems where sluice gates are opened for hours or days, flooding
whole fields, far in excess of plant requirements, this needs to change. The dams are emptied, hydro-electrics supplies
become intermittent and no one is satisfied. With some investment, the sluice gate could be opened to fill a local
storage reservoir, from which water can be irrigated in a controlled manner with minimal wastage directly to the plant.
Its time for change.
Catchment, storage and distribution is an essential set of components to a national water resource strategy.
Understand the mechanics of your geology, of your sub-terranian waters and aquifers and that of your lakes and you
begin to embrace the solutions to water sustainability for centuries to come
Technologies that were once dismissed by the establishment, must now be reviewed again. Local and regional rains can
be enhanced safely, without using chemically enhanced cloud seeding. Water molecular structure can be enhanced,
increasing crop and livestock production whilst simultaneously reducing water intake requirements. The present 80%
usage by agriculture could be reduced to 60% or less. providing the much sought-after long term human sustainability.
Brackish water, presently reviled by the farmer, can now be transformed as a friend, enabling additional nutrients to
plants and again replacing critical fresh water back to human consumption within our forever growing city population.
We are presently in a spiral to doom, unless we rethink our water resource strategy, both in the cities and in the fields.
Water shortages will lead to black market mafioso, individual aggressions, community conflicts and ultimately interstate
wars.
Enhanced water is a life saver, with numerous health benefits to body and mind, capable of fighting disease and
minimising common ailments. Earths natural power sources is potentially is saviour if we learn to acknowledge it and
incorporate it into water resource management.
Collaboration between UN research and field agencies, universities and agricultural colleges and their numerous in
country partners and commercial stakeholders along with national water authorities, water industry private companies
and national legislature bodies must be instigated now through Global and National platforms of expertise working in

The 6th Conference of the International Society

for Integrated Disaster Risk Management (IDRiM Oct 29th 2015)
the same direction. Water remains our most precious resource but it remains our nemesis if positive action is not
realised now.
Each country and each state needs to review its holistic approach to water resource management, to explore
technologies, think outside of the lake, invest in infrastructure, enforce industry to clean its act and limit monopolies
taking control, eradicate the need for Mafioso syndicate gang distribution, subsidise the farmers to change antiquated
practices, protect and clean up the seas and coastlines and educate the individual city dweller on the value and
importance of preserving and using water wisely..
Objectives:
To establish a national and global consensus of the challenges ahead; to promote coordinated Government strategies
across province and state borders; to initiate national strategies coordinating existing good practices and need for
improved irrigation systems; to create a national and international think tank for water resource technologies; to raise
awareness of existing international forums and UN Agencies promoting and providing global data and best practice
materials.
The desired strategy deriving from this presentation is to create Water as an individual hazard category within DRR,
similar to earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, cyclones, landslides, Fire and drought etc. Water requires its own identity
within DRR, as the consequence of its mismanagement creates risks and consequences far above and beyond the listed
hazards. Existing agencies primarily concentrate on WASH, using Fresh Water and Access to water in developing
countries. UN WATER is only a coordination agency with no secretariat. So, this is 'fire fighting' the subject only.
We are missing the bigger picture of consequences of legislature, of commercialism and of increasing corporate
ownership all affecting the security of water, the cost of water and the cross border disputes over rivers management;
also they skirt the necessary strategies to conserve waters, create improved catchment facilities, evaporation
prevention techniques, use of brackish water and the importance of oceans and salt lakes within the dynamics of fresh
water access and visa versa. Water is no longer something 'other Agencies deal with'. It is now necessary for ALL
agencies, especially within DRR to address water as an individual threat to humanity.
Water is being manipulated by corporates, governments and mismanaged generally, with wasted resource
opportunities, filling in lakes, continuous industrial pollution and endlessly persevering with large reservoirs and
neglecting micro storage and distribution systems for local sustainability; and we are ignoring climate change affects
upon changing precipitation within the traditional catchment regions. Finally, new technologies need investigating for
enhancing cloud and its rain fall, in the longterm. In fact to ensure that its every facet is to be considered, then a Global
WATER Resource Management Strategy requires its own secretariat and an individual voice and entity within the DRR
strategy, if humanity is to retain sustainable co-existence amongst nations and nature and earth its self, before it's too
late.