Water Sustainability in the Developing World

Water Delivery

Water sustainability has been of increasing concern in academia as a political as well as an environmental problem. My dissertation will specifically focus on water sustainability in the Caribbean and how to improve methods of delivery. Water is a finite, not an infinite resource, and must be treated as such. Additional research is needed to see how best to improve current quality and availability in the region. One useful method of doing so is reviewing how governments have tried and in some cases failed in the past to improve water sustainability in other areas of the developing world.

Technology provides many potential benefits for improving water quality, according to Jha (et al. 2007). In the article "Groundwater management and development by integrated remote sensing and geographic information systems: prospects and constraints" the authors examine how the pollution and exploitation of groundwater is causing a critical problem for the environment in India. Remote sensing (RS) and geographic information systems (GIS) can work to circumvent some of these issues, although the technology is still in its nascent stages. The uses for RS and GIS include the assessment of current resources and damages; selecting artificial recharge sites; flow and pollution modeling; hazard assessment and protection; estimating natural recharge of groundwater; and other forms of data analysis and process monitoring (Jha 2007: 427). Groundwater is a critical natural resource because of its relatively low level of vulnerability even when the rest of the region faced with drought so maintaining it is vital to future survival.

Unfortunately, several logistical barriers exist to the use of RS and GIS technology in nations where there is the deepest and most critical need for it, such as India. A literature review reveals that current studies proving the utility of technology in improving groundwater in the region is limited and not scientifically rigorous. While the developed world is currently monitoring its groundwater using cutting-edge technology, developing world governments often impose security restrictions that prevent the free dissemination of information and there is a lack of funding for facilities. The authors conclude with recommendations for improvement, including offering more affordable technology and facilitating greater data-sharing about groundwater and training about how to use the technology. Improvements in infrastructure are also critical (Jha 2007: 461).

The Jha (et al. 2007) article highlights how simply having high-quality technology is not enough. It must be used in an effective fashion. Moreover, government intransigence can result in a failure of proper training and delivery as can financial constraints. According to Jonker (2007), in his article "Integrated water resources management: The theory -- praxis -- nexus, a South African perspective," in the nation of South Africa, the use of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) has been a struggle despite the fact that the program seemed sure to work and was much-praised when it was initially implemented. South Africa was lauded for being a leader in the use of IWRM in Africa but the implementation has met a number of logistical barriers, including insufficient numbers of trained personnel, funding, and also a lack of real follow-through by political leaders (Jonker 2007: 1257).

There was also a lack of what Jonker calls 'conceptual clarity' to the use of the techniques by the South African government agencies charged with IWRM enforcement. Ideally, IWRM is supposed to promote coordinated development and management of resources to improve economic and social welfare but problems arose regarding the human element. The article highlights that no system, no matter how well-supported by previous evidence, can be more powerful than the human actors responsible for implementing it (Jonker 2007: 1262). A lack of integration of agencies resulted in an unsuccessful conclusion because those in charge seemed to fail to understand the scope of the program and where their specific functions fit into its larger aims. Coordination of resources amongst affected parties can be challenging from an organizational perspective and thwart even a well-structured program's implementation.