KUALA LUMPUR – Acknowledging the significance of water to the global community, Natural Resources, Environment, and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad has called for the setting up of a dedicated United Nations agency for the valued substance.
Nik Nazmi said the Water Action Agenda, which is being pushed for implementation by the intergovernmental organisation, needs a framework that asserts the role of water as the pillar that connects social, environmental, economic, and cultural outcomes.
This, he said, should be made a permanent agenda in the UN’s frameworks.
“For this purpose, a dedicated UN agency for water should be established,” he said in Malaysia’s statement to delegates at the UN 2023 Water Conference in New York, United States late last night.
The UN must continue to help establish mechanisms to enable the developed countries to provide financial and technical assistance and capacity development to accelerate the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal Six (on clean water and sanitation for all)."
Earlier, Nik Nazmi said the global community needs to acknowledge that the ongoing climate crisis is a water crisis, noting that the world is currently facing water scarcity, inadequate provision for sanitation, and more intense and frequent disasters and extreme weather events.
He went on to point out that most vulnerable people are often disproportionately affected and pushed beyond adaptation limits, posing significant challenges, particularly for the developing global south.
The minister added that climate change has aggravated and widened the existing development gap of these nations, and that water is central to addressing this issue.
“We need a framework for resilience and it has to start with water, where climate, environment, and development merge.
“The world needs to shift how development is approached in the age of crises where climate and disaster risks and economic growth have to be planned together.
“Every development plan must consider the water element and its impacts. We cannot afford to forgo our environment for the sake of growth, and neither can actions for water be made a lesser priority compared with climate change and vice versa.”
Nik Nazmi then went on to highlight some of Malaysia’s successes in the water industry, notably achieving 97% water supply access and 85.4% in sewerage services, particularly in main cities.
By the end of 2025, he said, the country aims to reach 98% coverage of clean water for rural areas and 90% sewerage coverage.
Additionally, Nik Nazmi noted that Malaysia manages wastewater services under a state-owned enterprise that oversees all public sewage treatment assets, while also adopting a circular economy in waste and wastewater management in a bid to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
Another highlight is the SMART Tunnel located in the city centre, which serves to ease traffic congestion and mitigate flood risks in the event of heavy downpours, he said.
“To further advance sustainability in our development, Malaysia has introduced the Water Sector Transformation 2040 Agenda. We envision the water sector to be an economic enabler and a dynamic growth engine to ensure water security for all.
“These strategies align with the aim of the Water Action Decade. We want to empower people to ensure its implementation, strengthening governance at all levels whilst we enhance our financial capacity and infrastructure.” – The Vibes, March 24, 2023
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