Muscat: A senior faculty at the Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) has urged residents of Oman to value water as good as their money.
"When it comes to wasting, people have to equate water with money in our pockets,” Dr. S.A. Prathapar, Director of Water Research Centre and Dean of the College of Agricultural & Marine Sciences, said during a seminar to mark the World Water Day 2010 Monday.
The seminar - “Clean water for a healthy world” - was organised by the Water Research Centre and the Department of Soil, Water & Agricultural Engineering at SQU.
Dr. Prathapar underscored the importance of not wasting water in the backdrop of millions of people lacking access to clean water across the world.
Rashid Al Abri from the Ministry of Regional Municipalities and Water Resources gave a presentation on water resources in Oman.
Saif Al Khamis from the Ministry of Agriculture spoke about “how poor agricultural practices affect water quality”.
Students from various high schools attended the seminar. After the presentation, the students were invited for a tour over water analysis labs and SQU grey water and grey water treatment units.
Every year, 1,500 cubic kilometres of wastewater are produced globally. While waste and wastewater can be reused productively for energy and irrigation, it usually is not.
In developing countries 80 per cent of all waste is being discharged untreated, because of lack of regulations and resources.
Population and industrial growth add new sources of pollution and increased demand for clean water to the equation.
‘Clean Water for a Healthy World’ is the theme of World Water Day 2010 by United Nations. The goal of the campaign is to raise the profile of water quality at the political level so that quality considerations are made alongside those of quantity.
