When
there is no Water, there is no life. Without safe drinking
water and without clean fresh water, we can not grow food, sustain our
own existence.
“Water
is everybody’s business”: it is not only the business of
technicians, of women in countries where there is a water shortage, of
farmers or governments, but of all of us. In
most cases use of water is unbalanced. It
is up to civil society to express their needs, come up with good local
solutions and insist on balancing the management and use of water.
Good
“water management” is about “behavior”.
Water development and management should be participatory,
involving users, planners and policy makers at all levels –
as also stated in the “Dublin Principles” (
)
Major
conflicts in our times will be about water. Water or lack thereof the
main reason for conflict in the future. There can be no democracy and no
peace without control over main resources like water by people(s)
themselves.
Safe
and affordable water is a human right.
Water is central in sustainable development and poverty eradication.
Women
play a central and essential role; they are the main users
and suppliers in many parts of the world. Women motivate and educate;
take action. Governments are slow in implementing their own principles
and sometimes do not even know how to do this.
Gender-sensitive,
environmentally sound, locally appropriate and affordable technologies
are needed to realize the water and sanitation targets.
BPW the
Netherlands is one of the initiators of the “Women
for Water Initiative” ( Vrouwen
voor water, water voor vrouwen)
BPW
International decided to be part of the “Women
for Water Initiative” ()
and, after discussion off a resolution on her XXIVth
Congres (
)
in 2002, set up an International Taskforce
()
