Protecting watersheds can save billions

Protecting watershed and water resources can provide many of the worlds mega cities with fresh water and save billions of dollars, noted a recent case study by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Published ahead of the World Water Forum starting March 16 in Istanbul, the report warned that failure in protecting forest watershed and water resources might lead many areas to scarcity.
"Many of the worlds big cities have understood that protecting their catchment areas make economic sense," said IUCN Country office in Pakistan quoting Mark Smith, Head of IUCNs Water Programme. "Rather than chopping down the forests or draining their marshlands, they are keeping them healthy and saving billions of dollars by not having to pay for costly infrastructure to store water, clean it or bring it from elsewhere," it stated.
Quoting to various water resources in different parts of the world, the IUCN stated, the Indonesian capital Jakarta gets its freshwater for free from some 60 rivers originating in the nearby Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park. The water is worth an estimated US $1.5 billion.
It also quotes some other countries where water is becoming too vital for the people as protecting freshwater sources also benefits nature. Mentioning to some achievements by different countries in prudent use of water resources, the report noted. In and around South Africas Kruger National Park, better river management has helped improve water provision for some local rural communities - whilst at the same time preventing loss of aquatic life in the park.
"Krugers main five rivers have suffered from pollution and unsustainable water use which led to some of them drying up completely. After implementing a large river-related programme with the agriculture, forestry and mining industries, we have seen an improvement in flows. Previously disappeared species have re-colonised, and fewer unnatural fish kills have occurred," says Harry Biggs, Programme Integrator at South African National Parks and leader of IUCNs World Commission on Protected Areas Freshwater Task Force.