Dr Daud Abdul-Fattah Batchelor Associate Fellow, IAIS Malaysia 6th & 7th October, 2015

Transcription

1 Dr Daud Abdul-Fattah Batchelor Associate Fellow, IAIS Malaysia 6th & 7th October,

2 in the Muslim World: Towards Sustainable Development Outline of Talk Islamic principles & values on water management & security Outcomes from Millenium Development Goals program to 2015 in Muslim majority countries (MMCs) Islamic solutions to address Issues in MMCs Sub-Sahara Africa Zone Middle East & North Africa (MENA) Zone Conclusion and Policy Recommendations 2

3 Introduction Qur an: almost seems water is the most precious creation after humankind. Millenium Development Goal 7C achieved! Halve by 2015 proportion of global population without sustainable access to safe drinking water... But Sub-Saharan Africa fell short of target. The Middle East is least sustainable of all regions due partly to huge stress on GW. 3

4 Definition: Water Security is: availability of an acceptable quantity & quality of water for health, livelihoods, ecosystems & production, coupled with an acceptable level of waterrelated risks to people, environments and economies. (Grey and Sadoff 2007) 4

5 5

6 Islamic Principles and Values on Water Security (1) Human role as steward (khalifatallah fi l ard) Q2:30 Hadith: Everyone of you is [like] a shepherd (steward) responsible for her/his flock. (Bukhari #6719) Justice (adl), core concept, requires good governance promoting maslahah (community good) by consensus. Protecting the environment Qur an 2:11: make not corruption (fasad) on earth. The Prophet (pbuh) said: "There should be neither harming nor reciprocating harm. [Ibn Majah] 6

7 Islamic Principles and Values on Water Security (2) Ensuring social justice and equity Prophet (pbuh): Among 3 people God will ignore on judgment day is a man [who] possessed extra water and withheld it from travellers. (Bukhari: Book 94, #7298) Common goods: Muslims have a common share in 3 things: grass, water, and fire. (Abu-Dawood, #3470) Prophet (pbuh): He is not a believer till his neighbour is safe from his harmful behaviour. (Al-Tirmidhi, #1292) Water use rights Priority is (1) haq al shafa for humans, (2) shafa for cattle (3) rights for irrigation and the environment. 7

8 Islamic Principles and Values on Water Security (3) Water Demand Management Conserve water. Prophet (pbuh): Do not waste water even if performing ablution on a river bank Wastewater (treated) use is permissible (e.g. Saudi fatwah). Integrated Water Resources Management Use hima (communal protected areas) approach. Nation states must share trans-boundary water fairly. 8

9 Maqasid (Higher Objectives) of the Shari ah 9

10 10

11 11

12 Water Security in the Asia-Pacific region. Ordered from greatest to least water secure. Source: Lautze and Manthrithilake

13 Millenium Development Goal Indicator 7C. Muslim countries showing improved drinking water % (2015): GCC Countries: 98% [95% in 1990] South European Countries: 94% [84% in 1990] SE Asia, Maldives, Bangladesh: 93% [80% in 1990] Middle East & North Africa MENA: 82% [82% in 1990] Central & West Asia: 81% [72% in 1990] Sub-Sahara Africa: 72% [49% in 1990] 13

14 100% 0% 14

15 MMCs under stress for drinking water: Somalia (32%): Improved from 21% in Afghanistan (55%): Improved from 21% in Yemen (55%): Decreased from 66% in Sudan (56%): Decreased from 67% in Palestine (58%): Decreased from 96% in

16 16

17 Sub-Sahara Africa Zone Chad-Niger (Lake Chad) Worsening situation due to: (i) climate change, and (ii) inefficient irrigation & overgrazing Somalia Infrastructure severely damaged in civil conflict. Engender peace & unity to encourage financial investment in essential water infrastructure. 17

18 Main Challenges in MENA Region High population growth (bigger issue than climate change). 12 countries have per capita water availability rates below WHO threshold (500 m 3 /yr) for severe scarcity. The water crisis is a crisis of governance! (UNDP, 2013) Existing resources overexploited; need demand minimisation Nonrenewable groundwater being depleted unsustainably. Consumption could be reduced by better irrigation efficiency & wastewater reuse. >50% renewable water is transborder; cooperation (ta awun) is essential. Q. 5:2 Help each other to goodness & heedfulness. Climate change will ascerbate problems. 18

19 Middle East & North Africa (MENA) Zone Yemen (Issues) Political conflict ( ) diverts attention from critical water shortage ; now destroying infrastructure. In Sana a (2M pop.; fast growing 3.6% p.a.; but ghost city by 2025?); GW table dropped far below sustainable level from 30m to 1000m depth. Move to the coast? UNDP: Yemen is withdrawing 169% renewable water. 50% of precious water used to cultivate qat (narcotic). 19

20 Yemen (Islamic solutions) Intergenerational equity requires drastically reduced groundwater (GW) extraction for sustainability. As hima resource, Govt. must control GW extraction, penalise illegal drilling & prevent aquifer depletion. For equity: subsidised water for marginalised society. Need government rulings: (1) fatwa against qat use & cultivation (2) strong media messages against qat. 20

21 Middle East & North Africa (MENA) Zone Palestine (Issues) Israel s confiscation of Palestinian water resources violate international law - Israel illegally exploits 85% of groundwater resources in occupied West Bank; Prohibits Arabs from drilling wells Israel s discriminatory policies maintain unequal water allocation between Israel, illegal settlers & Palestinians in Occupied Palestine. Solution Solidarity with the Palestinian people if they decide to take their dispute for international adjudication. 21

22 22

23 Middle East & North Africa (MENA) Zone Gulf Arab Countries (GCC) (Issues) Using oil/gas in desalination plants to produce water emits huge tonnes of CO2; GCC countries are world s worst GG emitters per capita (15-44 tonnes/yr); creating huge impacts & harming victims. Solutions (proposed) include: 1) Switch fully to solar powered desalination plants 2) Establish the GCC Diyah Compensation Fund to compensate global warming victims/countries (e.g. Iraq, Maldives, Bangladesh; Yemen, etc.) 23

24 Regional climate change model projections - Precipitation changes (%) for the 2070s relative to the 1990s. Adapted from Hemming, Betts and Ryall (2007) 24

25 25

26 26

27 27

28 Middle East & North Africa (MENA) Zone Turkey-Syria-Iraq (Issues) By promoting the full GAP project, Turkey is likely causing harm to neighbouring states, and is not recognising prior historical use & equity principles. Islamic solutions involve promoting better cooperation (ta awun) among Muslim states, and 1) Turkey scales back GAP to release more water, and 2) Syria-Iraq enhance irrigation efficiency. 28

29 Viewpoint With severe water challenges, unless governance, peace & security improves, mass emigration from water-stressed MENA countries will likely gain pace (esp. Libya, Yemen). Policy Recommendations Groundwater must be treated as common property (hima). State (steward) must control extraction & prevent aquifer depletion. Arab countries ( sun belt ) need to invest massively in solar power to produce water in desalination plants. Establish World Islamic Court esp. to mediate & adjudicate water trans-boundary disputes among Muslim states; Shari ah provides excellent principles as basis for arbitration. 29

30 Thank You! 30