Hurricane Michael brings flooding rains to El Salvador after long drought.
El Salvador, in terms of quality, quantity and access, is widely recognized and scientifically documented. And now, the country is living a drought that has devastated thousands of family crops, threatening their only income source and even their only food resource.
Nothing grows, nothing lives without water.
Andrés McKinley is a water and mining specialist at the José Simeón Cañas Central American University (UCA). He has a Master's degree in Health Administration and has been working on sustainable development issues in Central America, South America and Africa for 50 years.
The profound crisis of water resources in El Salvador, in terms of quality, quantity and access, is widely recognized and scientifically documented. Toxic waste, agricultural runoff and untreated sewage pollute more than 90% of our rivers, lakes and groundwater and the over exploitation of aquifers generates scarcity for communities and ecosystems throughout the national territory.
The main cause of the crisis is the lack of good governance in the water sector due to the lack of public policies and an efficient institutional framework for the regulation of this resource so essential for life and for the sustainable development of our country. Nevertheless, for more than 12 years, the deputies of the Legislative Assembly have demonstrated an alarming lack of interest, capacity and political will to seek consensus and approve a General Water Law.
The first challenge in the formulation of any water bill for El Salvador is to ensure a rights based focus stipulating the rights of citizens and the obligations of government. Water is the source of all life. According to Genesis, water existed before creation itself. In this sense, water is a public good and a fundamental human right, essential for the enjoyment of other rights, such as life, health and work.
If we recognize water as a public good and as a human right, it is obvious that the State (central government) has the obligation to manage it effectively and guarantee access to the citizenry in an equitable, efficient and sustainable manner. According to article 117 of the Constitution of the Republic, it is the obligation of the State to preserve and care for the natural resources of the country. It is also the obligation of the State to defend and guarantee the human rights of citizens. A study recently presented by the Central American University José Simeón Cañas (UCA) on the institutionality of water in Latin America shows that no country in our continent has a private governing body for water management. In fact, no country in the world has the rectory of water in private hands.
The private sector, through permits or concessions approved by the State, can participate in the provision of technical services related to water management. But allowing the private sector to govern water, with the power to approve national water policy, develop national water plans, establish priorities for water use, define tariffs, etc., would be tantamount to privatizing this vital liquid.
The water crisis in El Salvador is complex and urgent, requiring effective and integral solutions. This requires the active participation of the citizenry. Along with a State governing body for water management, it is important to assure a broad, permanent and dynamic space for the effective participation of citizens with the power to influence the decisions of the governing body. This space should include all interested parties (stakeholders), including the business sector, local governments, environmentalists, women's organizations, academics and other actors. In the proposal of the UCA on institutionality, presented to the Legislative Assembly in August of 2017, this space is considered strategic and is called the National Water Council.
The integral resolution of the dramatic water crisis facing El Salvador depends on what happens at the local level. We can have the best national water policy in the world and, still, fail in our governance efforts if there is no change in the way we manage water at the watershed level. When we speak of a focus on local watersheds, we are talking about more than the quantity and quality of water available. It implies taking into account all the factors that influence the availability and quality of water, including the forest, soil, air, fauna, etc.
The debate on water in El Salvador is at a definitive moment, influenced by a great variety of economic, social, political, environmental, party and electoral interests. It is time to recognize that this issue, for El Salvador, is a matter of life or death. It is a matter of national survival, not of political parties or ideologies. It is time to leave partisan discourses behind, seek consensus based on the principles set forth in this document and focus on the common good and the interests of our nation.