ABSTRACT
As has been discussed so far in the book, water is seen differently by different people. It can be seen a commodity, a global common, as a basic human right or a sacred resource divinity.
Water as a global common (as oceans, lakes), or common resource pool such as lake and pond means it is owned by the community. The concept of commons is more easily acceptable when it is a small body and shared by local people together, but as the size of the water body gets bigger the complexities increase and conflicts arise (especially if water is shared between states or countries). The problems get more complex in the case of a river because of upstream vs downstream communities – water gets polluted when the water flows downstream if the users upstream are not considerate (especially if there are a lot of industries located upstream or proper sewage system is not available). Water can be seen as a global common, a natural resource which supports the humanity as a whole but it raises certain questions and dilemmas such as if it is a community resource an individual’s rights would be decided by the community as a whole. The problem then becomes complicated when in urban water supply where an agency (private or public) supplies water to the citizens – then who decides how much does the water cost? Water as a commodity
Water can be described as an economic and social good. Although, not everyone agrees to this point of view, but technically water can be considered as a commodity when used in large quantities in commercial agriculture,
industries, hotels, for recreational purposes like swimming pools and maintaining big gardens, golf parks in deserts. Water as a basic right Water is the basic necessity to sustain life, which means it is not only a basic right but also a human right. This is further discussed by Rosseman in his chapter in this section. Water is essential for life – not only for human beings but for all the living species. When the term ‘human right’ is used – will it be the duty of the community or of some level of the Government (municipal, provincial or national) to supply safe drinking water to all? Who would enforce it? Can the Government licence it to a private company and let them charge for water for full recovery of cost or should water be free? It can be argued that like water, food is also a basic necessity of life but no one has ever argued that food should be made available free to all, however, the counter argument can then be that water occurs naturally while food needs to be grown (which means growing food needs investment while water is available in nature like fruits in forests. Though, with the decreasing quality of water, it needs to be purified, pumped and supplied which also means maintenance of the supply system). Rosemman in his second chapter puts forward some ways on how to finance water for all – considering it a basic human right. Water as a sacred resource divinity At some places rivers (and water bodies) are seen as sacred and divine. According to Eastern philosophy nature must be preserved and conserved, some philosophers have even written that nature must be worshiped. For example, Koran mentions the fact that the natural world is loaned from God. Sages of Atharva Veda used to chant in their hymn to earth, “What of thee I dig out, let that quickly grow over, let me not hit thy vitals, or thy heart”—because as Brishspati said, the bodies of living beings are created with fire fundamental elements: earth, water, fire, sky and air. So if human race has to survive we must preserve the nature (including water) and live in harmony with it. Even T.S. Eliot in a passage in his third quartet of the Four Quartets has written:
I do not know much about gods; but I think that the river Is a strong brown god-sullen, untamed and intractable, Patient to some degree, at first recognised as a frontier; Useful, untrustworthy, as a conveyor of commerce; Then only a problem confronting the builder of bridges. The problem once solved, the brown god is almost forgotten By the dwellers in cities-ever, however, implacable. Keeping his seasons and rages, destroyer, reminder Of what men choose to forget. Unhonoured, unpropitiated By worshippers of the machine, but waiting, watching and waiting.
