The Water of Life

KOMPAS/RADITYA HELABUMI

A mural with the theme of river life appears on the banks of the Ciliwung River in the West Flood Canal, Kebon Melati, Central Jakarta, Wednesday (20/1/2021).

How many liters of water do you use for bathing and drinking a day? This simple question has different meanings when posed to different people.

The people who have abundant water supplies will have a different perception of water compared to those who have to queue or walk kilometers just to get a few buckets of water on a daily basis. That is why, the words “thirst” and “drought” will also echo differently in each ear.

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Water is also treated differently by families in different places. Upper middle class families do not feel the direct impact of drought or water scarcity because they can fulfill their water needs.

For the lower class, buying water will inevitably increase the family’s expenses because they have to buy it daily. In fact, managing water use can be an important factor in influencing gender relations and the harmony of lower class families.

The difficulty of families in meeting their daily needs for water has become a global concern. Perhaps “Valuing Water” was chosen as the theme of this year’s World Water Day on March 22 because of such concern.

By 2040, global energy demand is projected to increase by more than 25 percent while water demand is expected to increase by more than 50 percent.

It is estimated that one in three people in the world do not have access to safe drinking water. By 2050, up to 5.7 billion people will live in areas where water is scarce and climate-resilient sanitation can save the lives of more than 360,000 babies each year. By 2040, global energy demand is projected to increase by more than 25 percent while water demand is expected to increase by more than 50 percent.

Furthermore, around 297,000 children under five – more than 800 every day – die annually from diarrheal diseases due to poor hygiene, poor sanitation or unsafe drinking water. Nearly half of the world\'s schools do not have hand washing facilities with soap and water available for students.

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In order to accelerate initiatives aimed at addressing challenges related to water resources, the United Nations General Assembly declared 2018-2028 as the International Decade for Action "Water for Sustainable Development" (un.org, unwater.org). The main focus of World Water Day is to support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 6: water and sanitation for all by 2030.

The water crisis is a global humanitarian problem. The global water crisis is also caused by the strengthening of the commodification and commercialization of water for industrial purposes. This, for example, was discussed by Walter E Block and Peter Lothian Nelson (2015) in their book, Water Capitalism: The Case of Privatizing Oceans, Rivers, Lakes, and Aquifers.

Cultural practices

In Indonesia, the drought and water scarcity caused by global warming is exacerbated by a lack of awareness in taking care of the water resources. In addition, the culture of consuming bottled water has become commonplace in cities and villages for the middle and lower classes. It is not surprising if ordinary people don\'t really care about the quality of the water resources in their area.

KOMPAS/RADITYA HELABUMI

Signboard marking the West Flood Canal in Kebon Melati, Central Jakarta, Wednesday (20/1/2021).

As is well known, the great cultures of the world can survive for centuries because of their closeness to water resources and their intelligence in managing the water cycle to sustain life and civilization. This, for example, is discussed by Dylan Kelby Rogers (2018) in his book Water Culture in Roman Society and in the book of Sheila Blair and Jonathan M Bloom (2009) Rivers of Paradise: Water in Islamic Art and Culture.

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As a basic necessity, like air, water is so close to life. Water not only forms, but is also shaped by the culture and civilization of society. The cultural closeness of our ancestors to water and water sources is marked by the naming of regions after water or water resources. Such names are quite common in the archipelago such as Banyuwangi (Javanese) or Cibodas (Sundanese) and many more.

There is even a cultural tendency to pollute water sources (rivers) collectively.

Unfortunately, criticism from environmentalists has not yet become a force to promote the awareness to take care the water resources. The obsession with progress seems to coincide with concerns about the environmental crisis. The lack of respect to water and water sources occurs almost in all sectors. There is even a cultural tendency to pollute water sources (rivers) collectively.

Household waste has not been properly managed, while the awareness of industries in managing hazardous waste is still relatively low, while the habit of littering has turned rivers into sewage and garbage canals. No wonder the Citarum River has been named the dirtiest and most polluted river in the world! If we\'re honest, it\'s actually not just the Citarum River.

The traditional wisdom in appreciating water is disappearing from cultural practice. The constitution mandates that the land and water and all natural resources underneath should be used as much as possible for the prosperity of the people. However, in reality, many people instead exploit and pollute them.

Where and how do we get out of the problem? The answer, that a holistic solution is needed and a holistic approach, or that an awareness campaign to conserve water is needed, has become a cliché.

Kompas/Rony Ariyanto Nugroho

The benefits from the Citarum River are also a contributor to the economy of the locals. An example of this is the use of floating net cages in the Citarum River ahead of Saguling reservoir in Maroko, Bandung regency, West Java, Thursday (4/1/2018). The benefits derived from the river which fulfill the people’s economy also need to be preserved. Therefore, any damage to Citarum River must quickly be given attention and addressed.

This fact reminds us of Professor Masaru Emoto\'s research results, which are still controversial, regarding the hidden message of water, such as in his book The Hidden Messages in Water. He found that water from clear springs and water exposed to positive speech and thoughts created visually bright and colorful ice crystals.

Perhaps nowadays a change in the paradigm or world view of water is increasingly needed. Here, the clerics can play a role in formulating a kind of "water theology" for the common good. The involvement and cooperation of adherents of religions is increasingly needed to carry out renewal of action regarding the attitudes of their people towards nature, especially water, as a source of life.

KOMPAS/MOHAMMAD HILMI FAIQ

Idi Subandy Ibrahim

IDI SUBANDY IBRAHIM, Researcher of Culture, Media and Communication

This article was translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi).