Merah Mas promises to respect water as a source of life, to be mindful of how we use water, and to preserve our water sources. Merah Mas is for love of water.
Water is the stuff of life as we know it. We are largely composed of water. Where Chemistry traditionally centred around oils, Biology is built around water. The solvent for Indiebio is water, the medium for most Adventure Sports is in, or heavily dependent on water.
speech from Prince of Orange at the UNSGAB Conference on Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change (31 October 2010).
The Prince of Orange has since 2006 onwards served as Chair of the UN Secretary-General's Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation. This Board was set up in 2004 by Kofi Annan to advise him on practical measures that could be taken to achieve the Millennium Development Goals for water and sanitation.
Important points from the speech:
- One issue that we must face is how wastewater is treated. UNSGAB has resolved to make better wastewater collection, treatment and reuse a priority issue. In most parts of the world, only a fraction of wastewater is treated, and even less is reused. We extract massive amounts from rivers, lakes and aquifers and return them to our ecosystems full of waste: from our industries, from our farms and from ourselves. Better wastewater management protects human health, builds vibrant cities and reduces threats to vulnerable ecosystems.
- There is no waste water, only water that is wasted. Wastewater is a resource. And it is a resource that deserves more attention from politicians, decision-makers, and policy planners. And so, one of the objectives of our current mandate, the second Hashimoto Action Plan, is to bring about a wastewater revolution.
- Revolutionising our approach to wastewater is part of paving the way to a food-secure future. But there are many possible obstacles along the road. Working side-by-side with urban planners, rural planners and farmers, water managers must anticipate future needs, while taking climate change into account. Streamlined government regulation is crucial and the public must be part of the process. The public's legitimate concerns need to be taken seriously.
Useful links in water:
- WISA - the Water Institute of South Africa - the industry mouthpiece, launched in 1987 as a wastewater treatment industry association, now encompasses most things water.
- eWISA - the municipal assistant and electronic database for Water Service Authorities (WSA) as well as the public interest
- WRC - the Water Research Commission - the research funding body for the water industry in South Africa
- FLOW - the movement spreading the positive, unifying message 'For Love of Water' to raise awareness and inspire action by instilling a deep appreciation, understanding and respect for water.
- YWP - the Young Water Professionals
- Check your drinking water quality here: www.dwa.gov.za/mywater.