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World Water Day Message
(By Honourable Raphael G.C. Trotman M.P., on the occasion of World Water Day 2017, Wednesday March 22, 2017, under the theme ‘Why Waste Water?’)
World Water Day is a day dedicated to focusing attention on the world’s water crisis. Elevated to a Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of the United Nations, access to clean water by the world’s citizens by the year 2030 is an
Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman
ambitious undertaking by the United Nations. Ambitious…but attainable.
This year’s World Water Day theme “Why Waste Water?” is in support of SDG 6.3 on improving water quality and reducing, treating and reusing wastewater.
Clean water is vital for sustainable development and for quality of life. However, too many of the world’s poorest citizens have little or no access to clean water, thereby exposing them to waterborne diseases and restricting their chances of living a life that is fulfilling and healthy.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), there are over 663 million people living without a safe water supply close to home and who spend much valuable time queuing up or trekking to distant sources to access water.
Guyana should not take for granted that it is blessed with an abundance of this natural resource and we must do our part to augment global efforts to combat the lack of access to clean water. We must take a moment to appreciate what we have and to commit to its protection and sustainable utilisation for the development of our country and its citizens.
In the mining sector, our water resources are sometimes affected by gold mining operations, which can lead to mercury contamination and higher than acceptable turbidity levels.
For this reason, the Ministry of Natural Resources through its agency the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) takes a strong regulatory stance against actions that can lead to mercury contamination in water, high turbidity levels or the degradation of freshwater quality. There are also restrictions on riverbank mining, since it can lead to changes in the physical characteristics of rivers.
The Ministry of Natural Resources is always on the lookout for complaints from the various communities in the mining districts, especially as it relates to the quality of water in rivers and streams. In response, teams are dispatched from the GGMC with support from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to investigate.
Water has many benefits, chief amongst which are its functions in ecosystems and human wellbeing. Hence, a recent announcement by the Guyana Water Inc. that a new wastewater facility is to be constructed in Georgetown is welcome news. While the aim of such facilities is to treat wastewater from our homes, restaurants, hotels, municipal markets and businesses before it is released into the Atlantic Ocean, we can envisage a day when such facilities can treat wastewater to a stage where it is safe enough for human consumption.
The Government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana will continue to take steps in ensuring that all communities have access to clean water, and through the Ministry of Natural Resources, ideas will be explored on how the country can achieve a green economy through responsible and sustainable stewardship of our natural resources including water.
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