Page 31 - report_A Matter of Survival

A Matter of Survival

and peacekeeping missions or peace-building activities, lists of protection of water infrastructure and stimulate international
protected water infrastructure should be made available to the cooperation for their effective use.
United Nations.
Religious Precepts
Security and protection of water resources and related
infrastructure can also be provided through the use of specific In addition to the UN system and humanitarian organizations, it
technological devices such as warning systems, anti-hijack is useful to explore religious precepts and laws insofar as they
systems, password-controlled gates for water facilities, and relate to water and water protection. Water is significant in all
other security devices. major religions, as a symbol of life and peace. Religious laws
and beliefs may be relevant in the context of water protection,
This is important for the protection of all water installations, where they are conceptually compatible with International
including water treatment plants. When treatment plants are Humanitarian Law. These may appeal to certain groups who
attacked, water that could be otherwise used by civilians is left consider IHL as an alien construct.
completely unusable. If a wastewater facility is damaged, and
untreated water is left to flow, this has a disastrous impact on In Hindu mythology, rivers are sacred. Water is the basis of life
downstream populations. Moreover, when containers holding and the foundation of the world. It is a symbol of purity, clarity
chemicals at treatment plants are destroyed, dangerous toxic and calmness in Buddhism, which teaches that people must live
substances that are lethal for humans, can be released. Since in harmony with nature.
chlorine gas and other commonly used chemicals in water
treatment can be deadly during an armed conflict, countries Islamic law prohibits water poisoning and goes into great
are seeking alternate methods of water treatment, using sodium detail on the subject of how to ensure fair and equitable water
hypochlorite or ultraviolet light. distribution within the community. Under Islam, every human
being is entitled to water, which is considered a gift of God.
Several countries already use advanced technological features Water should be freely available to all and it is considered a sin
to protect water infrastructure. It is important to further develop to withhold surplus water. Islam also emphasizes that everyone,
and use water protection technologies and software, which are not only Muslims, have the right to water.
effective both in peace and violent conflicts. In addition, the
following steps may be helpful: In both Judaism and Christianity, water plays an important role
in religious rituals and practices. Pope Francis emphasized that
▪ Identification of the most critical assets in water and waste access to safe drinking water is a basic and universal right. He
water systems to be defined as “vital infrastructures,” has encouraged the international community to protect water
▪ GPS positioning of those critical assets, resources and make water available to all.
▪ Strict interdiction to target or occupy those critical points by It is important to understand the significance of the religious
the parties in the conflict, precepts regarding water and insist on them as an obligation
▪ Strict interdiction to steal, destroy or modify parameters of to protect water resources in conditions of armed conflict. This
water quality monitoring devices in those critical points, and may also be helpful in efforts to bring warring parties to the
▪ Establishment of and support for online water quality negotiating table – particularly in situations of intense armed
monitoring systems for sensitive sites such as hospitals. conflict in which humanitarian ceasefires or water-related
ceasefires are necessary to protect civilian populations.
The measures suggested above amount to developing early
warning systems. Currently, regional inter-governmental In practice, references to religious precepts will work primarily
organizations have been making efforts to map hot spots and within religious communities and within States sharing the
identify signals of future threats. Effective early warning systems same religious traditions. This is of particular relevance in
would require a list of water-related infrastructure in relevant situations where the religious precepts on water are invoked
regions, but this raises two complications. First, governments with the objective to delegitimize threats from groups that
may find it intrusive for an international or regional organization seek legitimacy on the basis of their interpretation of religion,
to monitor facilities in their jurisdictions. Second, armed calculated to attract the support of their followers.
non-state actors could obtain such lists and use them to identify
targets, which would defeat the very purpose for which these
lists were created. In order for this approach in identifying and Measures within the United Nations
protecting vital infrastructure to be effective, it is important that Framework
the data gathered and lists prepared are handled with care –
internally and internationally. From 1992 to 2016, UN Secretaries-General Boutros Boutros-
Ghali, Kofi Annan, and Ban Ki-moon urged the United Nations
Efforts to find solutions to these problems require an adequate Member States to examine linkages between water, peace and
level of international cooperation and confidence building. UN security. However, water issues have remained largely confined
bodies such as the Counter-Terrorism Committee should study to the UN development and environmental agenda.
trends in the development of technological means for the

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