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Concerning water and peace

World Water Day 2024

We, activists for the protection of rivers, water, and nature, welcome World Water Day today with deep concern. Old problems have not been solved, and new troubles cast a shadow over the future of all humanity. This year, the United Nations highlighted peace as the theme of World Water Day. Water plays a key role in conflicts: as a trigger, weapon, or victim. Water can stir up or extinguish conflicts. Without permanently available water for every person there is no lasting peace!

And yet, activists throughout our region are still condemned to deal with the plight of small hydropower plants, which bring no good to anyone except the developers. One and a half million people in Serbia alone do not have stable access to drinking water. In places where water is found in nature, pure and free, it is exploited by corporations for profit, instead of being used to meet a basic human need. We are threatened by the privatization of water supply and sewage services. The entire Balkans is shaking with mining fever, which can easily turn into a dangerous disease for vital watercourses. Underground basins, the biggest source of drinking water in our region, are particularly threatened by mining. Under the guise of green energy and stream taming, large reservoirs are planned – but conveniently within reach of future mining facilities. Contrary to the recognition of water only as a commodity on the market, our region is still waiting for the full recognition of water as a human right.

The thirst for water justice did not only unite us, activists for the rivers of the Balkans. More than 3 billion people worldwide rely on water that crosses national borders. The urgent need for cooperation, among states and peoples, has been increased by the worrying impact of climate change. Peaceful cooperation around water encourages harmonious cooperation in other areas and builds peace. Lack of water, pollution, and unequal or no access to water leads to tensions between communities and often countries.

Attacks on civilian infrastructure, including water systems, pose serious health risks and violate international humanitarian law. On this Water Day, we witness an unprecedented humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip. In addition to the gruesome number of brutally extinguished lives of civilians, primarily children, an important aspect of this suffering is the denial of access to water. Two of the three main water supply streams have been destroyed, and the remaining third has dropped to half its capacity. Local wells and a seawater desalination plant are down to just a few percent of their capacity. One shower is available for every 2,000 inhabitants, and 500 people are forced to share one toilet. The lack of safe drinking water, as well as insufficient water for cooking and hygiene needs, aggravates the already present hunger and inevitably affects survivors’ health.

On average, households in the Gaza Strip have access to less than one liter of safe water per person per day on World Water Day. According to humanitarian standards, the minimum amount of safe water needed in emergencies is 3 liters, while otherwise, the minimum standard is 15 liters per person. Out of desperation, survivors use polluted and even seawater for washing, which further worsens the situation. 90% of children under the age of 5 are exposed to life-threatening infections due to polluted water.

Unfortunately, we in the region know what war is and what consequences it leaves. In times of trouble, we know who is the one stirring the water, and who stays thirsty. On this Water Day, we are united in the belief that good can only win if we, (un)ordinary people help it at least a little from all sides. To all our regional demands, we add an appeal to immediately stop hostilities, deliver the necessary humanitarian aid to civilians, and urgently provide access to clean water in the Gaza Strip.

There is no peace without water! Let’s do everything to welcome the next World Water Day in a safer, fairer, and more peaceful future for everyone. Water for peace!

Regional Alliance Let’s Defend the Rivers of the Balkans