Water pollution in Asia and the pacific (pt. 1)

The old age adage “Water is life” seems to have been overlooked in the 21st century. In past and modern history, water has become the source of many productive activities in human civilization. The planet keeps hitting us with increasingly extreme droughts, reminding us of the value and importance of water. It is an essential resource upon which all living beings depend and it is crucial to all social and economic development.

Water is also at the heart of adaptation to climate change, serving as the crucial link between the climate system, human society, energy production, and the environment.

Water is a finite and irreplaceable resource that is fundamental to human well-being. In the Biblical account of creation, the earth was full of darkness but the Spirit of God covered the waters. Genesis 1:1-2:1, In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. 2 And the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

This shows the importance of water in the very foundation of the earth. Ironically our world today is facing one of the greatest challenges of all time. It is the challenge of water pollution. Exposure to high levels of water pollution can cause a variety of adverse health outcomes.

What is water pollution?

Water pollution can be defined as the “contamination of a stream, river, lake, ocean or any other stretch of water, depleting water quality and making it toxic for the environment and humans.” The World Health Organization (WHO) says that polluted water is water whose composition has been changed to the extent that it is unusable.

In other words, it is toxic water that cannot be drunk or used for essential purposes.

There are two types of water pollution:

Organic pollution: Pollution caused by animal or plant material derived from living and dead organisms that may contain pathogenic bacteria and negatively influence the environment.

Chemical pollution:Pollution is caused by the increased presence of chemical pollutants in our environment, especially those that do not occur there naturally.

Water pollutants may cause diseases or act as a poison. Bacteria and parasites in poorly treated sewage may enter drinking water supplies and cause digestive problems and other waterborne diseases, such as gastroenteritis, diarrhea, typhoid, cholera, dysentery, and hepatitis. Water pollution is one of the main environmental issues that we are facing, as more than 70% of the Earth’s surface is covered by water. Indeed water pollution is a global battle. Regardless of race, nationality, or political affiliation, we all have a holistic responsibility to address water pollution. Sickness and disease know no tribe or political affiliation. We need water to survive, just as much as we need air, sunlight, and food. Nothing can live without access to this vital element. Ensuring the quality of water is one of the great global challenges of our day.

Water pollution causes

There is different research on the causes of water pollution. Each gives practical answers to the cause of water pollution. I will like to expressly state that the primary cause of water pollution is “undisciplined” human activities. As much as other natural phenomenon like floods, landslides, and maritime traffic can contribute to water pollution, human activities pollute water bodies the more. This includes global warming, deforestation, Industry, agriculture and livestock farming, wastes, fecal water dumping, and fuel spillages.

According to water.org, “Out of its population of 109 million people, 57 million people (52% of the population) lack access to a reliable, safely managed source of water, and 43 million people (39%) lack access to safely managed household sanitation facilities.

Despite its growing economy, the Philippines face significant challenges in terms of water and sanitation access...”

The Philippines challenge – The Pasig River

One of the countries in the world blessed with natural water bodies is the Philippines. The nation is known globally as the home of love and pleasure. Nevertheless, some part of the country is almost losing the beauty of the natural river bodies. Ironically, water pollution goes beyond the Philippines. Some in Asia-Pacific put their lives at risk daily due to contaminated water sources. The 2021 research from Oxford University, Our World in Data showed that Asian rivers contain 81% of all the plastic that reaches the oceans, with the Philippines accounting for about 30% of the total.

The Philippines is home to some of the largest plastic-polluting rivers in the world. Global ocean plastic pollution from select rivers – Statista https://www.statista.com

The world’s most polluting river when it comes to plastic is the 27-kilometer Pasig River which runs through Metro Manila, accounting for 63,000 tons of plastic entering oceans from rivers per year,” a statement from the Climate Change Commission (CCC).

The 27 km Pasig River that runs through the nation’s capital was once a vital commerce route but the river has now been polluted due to inadequate sewage systems and urbanization. Locals collect rubbish from the banks of the river every morning, filling bags in their never-ending quest to clean up a stream that is also a key source of plastic waste.

In the Philippines’ poorest communities, waste is rarely collected, and sometimes not at all, resulting in unlawful dumping. This waste ultimately seeps into the maritime ecosystem and has detrimental effects on both the fishing industry and environmental tourism.

On statistics, it is said that the Philippines is one of the biggest plastic pollutants on the planet, with 0.28 to 0.75 million tons of plastic escaping into the waters each year from coastal locations in Manila Bay together with hundreds of thousands of tons of plastic waste that are dumped in the country’s rivers. The recent economic success of the Philippines is an achievement to be proud of; however, the war against water pollution is not over yet.

The country is rapidly urbanizing, and its growing cities struggle to provide new residents with adequate water and sanitation services. In 2010, the government of the Philippines developed a road map to achieve universal water and sanitation services coverage by 2028; I commend the government for such a passionate stand; however, it will take each one of us to fight alongside the government to achieve such a goal.

This great obstacle can be defeated when every Filipino and privileged tourist, residents, and all law-abiding friends of the Philippines come together to be goodwill ambassadors in the preservation of the water bodies.

As stated earlier, water pollution is primarily caused by humans, therefore through dedicated -discipline we can do our part to stop water pollution. The good news is that “San Miguel Corporation (SMC), which has taken for itself the gargantuan task of cleaning up major river systems in and around Metro Manila, reported that its cleanup of the 15-kilometer San Juan River, a main tributary of the Pasig River, is well underway, with over 90,000 metric tons of silt and solid waste already extracted.

The San Juan River cleanup, which it is undertaking with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and local government units (LGU), is crucial to maintaining the gains that SMC has already made in cleaning up the Pasig River.” https://www.ecohubmap.com/

IAWPA Advocates

The strategic role of the International Association of World Peace Advocates (IAWPA) in the Philippines and Asia-Pacific is to advocate for the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. One of which is the preservation of our water bodies and access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene which is the most basic human need for health and well-being. According to the United Nations, decades of misuse, poor management, over-extraction of groundwater, and contamination of freshwater supplies have exacerbated water stress. To achieve these goals, I recommend to the National government of the Philippines and nations within Asia-Pacific with their local governments to take into consideration these strategic points:

Individuals and families should be continuously educated on the importance of preserving our water bodies. This can be done through the “Save Our Waters” (SOW) program once a month in every community.

Students from elementary schools to universities can be trained and appointed as Ambassadors for the protection of our water bodies and advocates for clean and potable water. This will create awareness at the early stages.

The media can have special programs on water protection and the consequences of water pollution. Special primetime television programs can showcase such importance. This will make a maximum impact.

A presidential award to individuals and organizations for the protection of water bodies can create great awareness of water preservation and pollution.

Special presidential scholarship awards to dedicated student ambassadors who advocate for the protection of water bodies, etc.

Celebrities can get actively involved, and host campaigns against water pollution.

Churches and other religious platforms are the best places to offer education on the preservation of our water bodies and environmental-related advocacy.

A special task force in various communities can be formed to protect and guard against water pollution.

Disciplinary and legal actions should be reinforced against companies that are involved in illegal mining that affects the water bodies. This should be done without any political interference.

Traditional (Tribal) elders should be appointed as custodians of their rivers as they are revered by their tribes and communities. This battle against water pollution can never be won if we neglect the input of our traditional leaders.

Urgent statistics to ponder: Asia –Pacific

United Nations report says 80 percent of rivers in Asia-Pacific are polluted, with 1.8 million deaths a year. About 1.7 billion people do not have access to basic sanitation.

Almost 80 percent of wastewater goes into water bodies with serious consequences for health and the environment. The contamination of the water bodies has led to various health problems for many including skin diseases, respiratory issues, and gastrointestinal disorders.

“More than 80 percent of rivers are polluted in the Asia-Pacific region, whilst about 1.8 million people die every year from water-related diseases, a new United Nations report reveals.” Islamabad (AsiaNews/Agencies)

According to UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the second forum of ministers and environment authorities of the Asia-Pacific region indicates that governments have failed to provide clean water to people and protect the environment. The study covers 41 countries, focusing on environmental pollution, a well-known problem that has reached a critical stage.

These include China (100 million drink poisoned water), India (deadly pollution in the Ganges), Pakistan (largest mass intoxication from arsenic in the Indus River), Bangladesh (43,000 annual deaths), Vietnam (Formosa Plastics coastal pollution), and Thailand (one of the highest rates of plastic dumping in the sea).

The above situation is indeed challenging. I advocate therefore governments in Asia- Pacific involve a voluntary, flexible, and global multi-stakeholder network that advocates the central role of freshwater quality in achieving prosperity and sustainability. It explores, monitors, analyses, and communicates water-quality risks at global, regional, national, and local levels to identify solutions for the maintenance and restoration of the health and well-being of both ecosystems and humans.

IAWPA extends our work to governments and NGOs who seek to serve Asia-Pacific throughout the lifetime of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and beyond.

Water pollution effects

Deteriorating water quality is damaging the environment, health conditions, and the global economy.

Lack of potable water. The UN says that billions of people around the world have no access to clean water to drink or sanitation, particularly in rural areas.

Infant mortality. According to the UN, diarrhoeal diseases linked to lack of hygiene cause the death of about 1,000 children a day worldwide.

Destruction of biodiversity. Water pollution depletes aquatic ecosystems and triggers unbridled proliferation of phytoplankton in lakes — eutrophication.

Disease. The WHO estimates that about 2 billion people have no option but to drink water contaminated by excrement, exposing them to diseases such as cholera, hepatitis A, and dysentery.

Contamination of the food chain. Fishing in polluted waters and the use of wastewater for livestock farming and agriculture can introduce toxins into foods that are harmful to our health when eaten.

IAWPA cautions Asia and the Pacific about poor sanitation

According to the study, the most common pollutants in the region are organics, nutrients, dissolved salts, heavy metals, pesticides, and chemicals from industrial activities. The sources of the pollution are untreated or partially treated sewage, agricultural runoff, industrial wastewater and landfill leachate, and nutrient and sediments washed from degraded land by heavy rainfall.

One major cause of water pollution is poor sanitation, including defecation in the open, leading to contamination of surface and groundwater sources by organics, nutrients, and bacterial coliform. Because of political inaction, 1.7 billion people lack access to basic sanitation, and almost 80 percent of wastewater is discharged into water bodies with little or no primary treatment.

Diseases related to poor water treatment, sanitation, and hygiene including intestinal nematode infections, protein-energy malnutrition, trachoma, schistosomiasis, lymphatic filariasis (due to worms usually found in dogs), malaria, and dengue.

Another factor affecting human health from water pollution is the accumulation of heavy metals in plants that are then consumed as food, which is closely related to the methods used in irrigating contaminated soil. Last but not least comes solid waste. Urban areas in the region generate about 1.21 metric tonnes of solid waste a day.

By 2025, this amount will be more than double, to 2.65 metric tonnes. If nothing is done, inadequate treatment of waste will continue to cause pollution as well as environmental and ecosystem degradation. If not properly collected, waste can decay and cause air pollution, unpleasant odors, and degradation of soil, surface and groundwater, and ecosystems. India and China appear to have comprehensive monitoring systems, putting them in a strong position to address the problems.

Conclusion

The Asia-Pacific region continues to face serious water quality issues that contribute to freshwater scarcity, ill health, and even deaths. In many places, quality is continuing to decline and insufficient efforts are being made to monitor and remedy the situation amid institutional and social challenges. However, there are also robust efforts to correct the situation and cause to be hopeful. Positive examples exist in the region that must be shared, learned from, and replicated.

Special note: Statistics keep changing. Statistics made here are bound to change, depending on our efforts for a positive change or the lack of it. I pray we all become ambassadors of our environment. Angels do not pollute our water, human beings do, Let’s arise and fix it. Together we can achieve undeniable success.