Water is precious – let us use it wisely |22 March 2011

Water is the essence of life. Safe drinking water and sanitation are indispensable to sustain life and health. Millions of people around the world do not have access to good sources of drinking water.

Many countries are also facing environmental challenges such as accelerating urbanisation, climate change, increasing pollution and depletion of water resources.

Here in Seychelles, climate change factors are having a significant effect on our water availability.  We face a major challenge in water supply. There is not enough water to meet demand in the dry season and there is insufficient raw water storage capacity.

The government and Public Utilities Corporation are now finalising a water masterplan that outlines the major investment projects needed to give Seychelles a reliable and secure water supply, up to the year 2030.

These projects are a combination of raw water storage, extra treatment capacity, desalination and upgrades to the water transmission system.

However, we must all remember that water is precious and there are many things we can all do to help save every drop. We must conscientiously conserve water to ensure we have enough to meet our needs throughout the year.

Every small action to conserve water by each individual counts. Together, it represents a nationwide effort to increase the national supply of water.

On this day, let us all remember that water is a precious resource and we should all try our best to use it efficiently and wisely.