The Global Environment-III: International Waters

Alok B Guha

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) supports the Small Grants Programme to initiate small grassroots activities in various  developing countries. Development Alternatives is the National Host Institution and houses the small secretariat which processes and assists NGOs to develop project proposals. The thematic areas include climate change, ozone layer depletion, biodiversity conservation and international waters’ protection. For the benefit of  grassroots NGOs, we are serialising five short articles on what these thematic areas imply to help NGOs develop valid ideas for projects. This is the fourth article in the series.

The oceans cover more than three quarters of the earth.  Despite the fact that about 70 per cent of the earth’s surface is covered with water, fresh water represents less than 3 per cent of the total - most of which is locked up in the polar ice caps and glaciers.  Thus, only the evaporated water from the oceans and transferred on land through precipitation nourishes our ecosystems, powers our industry, grows our food and makes life possible.  Yet the illusion of a “blue-planet” is deceptive.  Beneath the surface, a crisis of global proportions is building up.

Population growth, industrialisation and  urbanisation, all increase per capita water demand, with the result that demand now exceeds supply in many areas.  Half a billion people are stressed by scarce water supply today, and by the year 2025 that number is projected to rise five fold.  In other words, according to the ‘Comprehensive Assessment of the Freshwater Resources of the World’, one-third of the present population lives under conditions of water stress and this will grow to two-third by 2025.  These projections tell only part of the story.   The aquatic environment hides another world - of wetlands,
estuaries, rivers, and ocean ecosystems that provide trillions of dollars of benefits each year.  These life-support systems are now being impaired by over -fishing, loss of flood plains and wetlands, increasing discharges of pollution, filling of rivers with mud due to deforestation and consequent land erosion and flow reductions caused by wasteful irrigation practices and dam construction.  Fresh water supply problems are exacerbated by poor water treatment and disposal that contaminates and pollutes ground and surface water.  Sewage, persistent toxic chemicals, nutrients and industrial wastes contaminate many freshwater resources, making them unsuitable for human consumption and re-use.  The contamination of ground water resources is of great concern as more than 1,500 million people currently depend on it for their drinking water supply.  It is anticipated that the problems of water quality and quantity will become acute in large parts of West Asia, Africa, and Latin America which have large cities.

The problems of water quality and quantity can also adversely affect ecosystems.  On many major rivers, large dams and barrages are being constructed, or have already been constructed, adversely affecting ecosystems, interrupting natural flow regimes, drying up  wetlands and reducing the flow of nutrients and sediments to coastal and near-shore areas.  Reduced sediment in deltas and estuaries speeds up coastal erosion while reduced nutrients lower the fish catch.  In contrast, poor land use can result in increased soil erosion and sediments transported to the coast, causing harbours and navigation channels to silt up and smother natural marine habitats such as coral reefs.  In other areas, nutrients from untreated sewage and fertiliser run-off from agriculture can  stimulate primary production (eutrophication)  in coastal waters.  This may lead to anoxia, fish- kills, red tides and toxic algal blooms that are becoming more common in many parts of the world. For a quarter century, the scientific community has warned that the degradation of marine, coastal and river ecosystems is expanding beyond national borders.  Water problems that were local in scope have crossed boundaries, inextricably linked through the global hydrological cycle to urbanisation, watershed degradation, deforestation, biodiversity loss, and climate change.  The interrelationships often involve geopolitical concerns, regional and global markets, and monetary and other policies that support subsidies, exports and trade.

Some 300 major rivers flow through more than one country, some of them through many countries.  This poses problems of joint management and water sharing, problems that are often compounded by the fragmented nature of water management at the national level: local authorities, national governments and different sectors of the economy often control different aspects of the use, management and distribution of fresh water within national boundaries.

Early in the next century, the world population will reach 6,000 million, of whom two-thirds will live within 60 kms of the coast.  In many developing countries, rates of coastal population growth are twice national averages because of migration from poor inland areas to centres of employment and services along the coast.  Populated cities and townships in developing countries are rarely planned or adequately serviced.  This leads to discharge of untreated sewage and industrial wastes into the coastal ocean.  Coastal migration places additional demands on the coastal environment because many countries allow free access to these resources.  This often has adverse implications on marine fish which is the resource or the last resort for the world’s poorest people.

The marine catch - 100 million tonnes per year - has reached what many consider the limits of natural production.  Numerous fisheries are being over exploited.  Globally, some 70 per cent of fish stocks are considered over-fished.  Although, marine resources supply only about 10 per cent of the world food, they form 40-100 per cent of the animal protein in the diet of many people in developing countries.  Increasing coastal aquaculture, developed in response to the growing demand for sea food, is itself threatening the health of coastal systems with excess nutrients and chemicals, including antibiotics and fungicides.

"Clouds and rivers are also oceans -
temporarily on loan to the atmosphere
and to the sea-bound land ".

- Rolf Edberg 

The GEF operational strategy defines ‘international waters’ as including the oceans, large marine ecosystems, enclosed or semi-enclosed seas and estuaries as well as rivers, lakes, groundwater systems, and wetlands with trans boundary drainage basins or common borders.  Priority areas in the international waters focal area include :

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This article draws heavily on material published by the Global Environment Facility (1998) in the book titled ‘Valuing the Global Environment: Actions and Investments for a 21st Century’ and on material published by the United Nations Environment Programme titled: “Where We Stand: A State of the Environment Overview of the Global Environment Facility” which is essentially a report from the Global Environment Outlook Programme.

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