KARACHI, Oct 8: Water management is a global problem and has always remained the prime cause of a conflict among nations. This issue must be tackled and settled by all governments to ensure durable peace.

These views were expressed by key speakers at the concluding session of the two-day Indus Delta - Eco Region International Conference here on Friday. Ms Eva Hernandez Jorge, representative of a Spain-based NGO, Istas, told the participants of the conference that the problems being faced by people in Pakistan appeared similar to those being faced by people of other regions.

She particularly referred to the water-related problems in Spain, saying that waste of water, water pollution and salination of underground water in coastal areas were some of the common global problems. The number of dams had also been increased in Spain, she said.

Ms Jorge pointed out that more than 1,000 dams had been built which created specific problems such as coastal erosion, including delta's erosion, besides environmental and social problems.

There had been a social debate also over the past years on such issues, she pointed out, adding that demonstrations held against the Spanish National Hydrologic Plan (SNHP) in this regard had been attended by millions of people.

A new movement - The New Water Culture -, supported by political groups, trade unions, environmentalists, researchers, journalists and students, had been launched, she said.

According to her, the movement emphasized the need for promoting a new water management model based on managing water as resource and preserve it as a patrimony and adopting it with the policies oriented to meet the population's demand.

Consequently, she said, the new Spanish government of the Socialist Party had to withdraw the SNHP with the support of all the political parties in the Spanish Congress. The only exception was the Popular Party.

Other speakers at the conference included Arif Hasan (Chairman Urban Resource Centre), Prof Saeed Khan, Dr Talat Wizarat, Nisar Effendi, Tahira Ali (Pakistan Fishermen Forum), and community representatives Mithan Mallah and Shafi Murgher.

They highlighted various factors responsible for the present 'disastrous situation' being faced by the population in the coastal areas of Karachi, saying that lack of planning, coordination and financial instability contributed greatly to the destruction of our natural environment, rendering millions of people jobless and sick.

Mr Arif Hasan particularly referred to sewage disposal problem and industrial pollution in the city, saying that in Karachi, untreated municipal and industrial sewage was flushed into the sea through the Malir and Lyari rivers. This practice, he observed, led to the destruction of the shelter zones - mangroves - of fish species.

He stressed the need for a change in the approach of the policy-makers whose ill-advised policies had created such a situation. Ms Tahira Ali was of the view that the rulers' wrong policies had devastated our agriculture land, sea resources and beaches, forcing millions of people to migrate from their ancestral places in search of employment.

She urged the government to take effective measures for the rehabilitation of these displaced people who, she added, should also be compensated suitably. She suggested imposition and effective implementation of a ban on deep-sea fishing and use of fine nets, besides measures to contain and prevent sea pollution and scrapping the World Bank projects of LBOD and RBOD.

Dr Talat Wizarat called for settling water disputes with neighbouring countries and stressed the need for proper use of water resources through proper management. Maintaining that water has become a scarce commodity the world over, she called for steps for better and effective management of to meet the increasing requirement of the fast-growing population.

In his comments, Prof Saeed Khan gave a brief account of water disputes between the nations which fought wars for the control of rivers flowing across their territories. He pointed out that water disputes had a long history. Water becoming a bone of contention between two or more countries is not a new phenomenon. It has created civilizations.

He stressed that Pakistan must strive hard to safeguard all its natural resources which included water, forests, wildlife, sea resources, etc., and provide a better and natural environment to its citizens.

Mr Nisar Effendi recounted the factors that contributed to the destruction to Indus delta region. Criticizing the projects like LBOD and RBOD as 'highly dangerous' and 'detrimental to the interest of Sindh people', he called for compensation to be paid to the people of Sehwan, Manchhar and Badin areas who were badly affected by such projects.