UN-HABITAT: investigate the importance of clean Freshwater resources
Introduction
Freshwater is vital for all aspects of life. It is needed for proper body function and health. Moreover, water is needed for agriculture, industry, weather patterns, shaping of earth and many other sides. Shortages and insecurity of freshwater may have devastating effects. This problem may cause serious problems like health risks, agriculture, and many other troubles. Although Belgium doesn’t have problems in water quantity and quality, yet, it faces many pollution hardships due to the intensity of agriculture, industry and populated areas. Percentages of water pollution on Belgium have increased from 1.95 % to 2.25 %.
Nationally, Belgium is working on financing NGOs working on freshwater development. Belgium has distributed several copies of “the Water in Brussels” which includes information concerning activities that will be made on water. In addition, another project held related to this topic is “The Parliament of young people from Brussels for water” showing civil participation in water management and development. Other projects were also held like “Chercheurs d’eau” and many others. Such policies taken by Belgium are to advise the use of water, work on water management and solve water problems.
Internationally, Belgium addressed this topic by IWA and EWA and participated in Brussels Urban Declaration held by the European parliament in cooperation with UN-HABITAT that worked on access to safety and sanitation of water. As well, Belgium has signed treaties like in Ghent on the 3rd of December 2002 for management of transboundary river basin regions, Charleville –Mezieres for water quality protection of the main river and Scaldit-project for clean and safe river water. Those are some of the conventions Belgium has supported.
Fully believing in the importance of freshwater, Belgium believes that recommendations for water protection and management should be addressed by UNEP to advise handling the fertilization of agricultural land, reuse of water and recycling it, making people who cause water pollution pay taxes and last but not least, put filters on all machinery and industries that cause the emissions of toxic substances that may precipitate in water causing the insecurity of drinking water in many regions.
References:
1) http://www.outdoorsafe.com/importancewater.htm
2) http://importanceofwater.org/29/the-importance-of-water/
3)http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/water/water_facts/en/index9.html
4)http://www.eea.europa.eu/soer/countries/be/soertopic_view?topic=freshwater
5)http://www.tradingeconomics.com/belgium/water-pollution-wood-industry-percent-of-total-bod-emissions-wb-data.html
6)Freshwater Country profile (Belgium)
7)http://www.unhabitat.org/downloads/docs/9420_77678_BrusselsUrbanDeclaration.pdf
8)http://www.b-iwa.be/index.php
9) http://www.epa.vic.gov.au/water/protect/default.asp
