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CHAPTER 2. SOCIAL AND CULTURAL ASPECTS OF EUTROPHICATION

2.6. Conclusion and Recommendation

Eutrophication is still developing in most lakes and reservoirs on the Earth. Eutrophication issues are mainly understood by developed countries where limnology and engineering research have been conducted providing useful information for the control of eutrophication. Due to the lack of scientific and technological information, particularly in different developing countries, decision-makers tend to ignore problems, which are related to the traditional value of water in the country. Therefore it is urgent to bring the real causes-and-effect relationship of eutrophication to their attention.

Some traditional ways for the valuation of water, which are used in developing countries, are not safe for the people and the environment. An understanding of the social and cultural aspects of water uses in different global societies is important information for decision-makers and managers. The information should be used in planning changes in current water use in order to preserve the aquatic environment and its entire ecosystem. Religious control of water-related practices, such as clean water acquisition and sanitation, are cultural factors, which affect the use of water by different global societies. These practices are rooted in past eras but strongly affect present water-related culture. The method of eating, which is often closely associated with the method of personal sanitation and human waste disposal, is another important cultural factor affecting the use of water by different societies.

Socioeconomic development of a country depends on people's income and water availability. Water is already becoming a serious limiting factor in the socioeconomic development in countries with a population of low income and limited access to water. However, regardless of its economic capability, each country needs trained people to solve problems related to the management of water resources.

It is not possible to install a sewage system in countries, which have no available water to provide the modern water supply system. For these countries, a solution called "ecological sanitation" is available, in which urine and feces are separated at the source, and collected in a separate manner. More information on this method and presently available technologies for treatment of wastewater is given in Chapter 6 in this publication.

There are approximately over one million natural lakes and small reservoirs in India. Many of them are very old and have been in service for over a thousand of years. Because of the abundance of fish in these water bodies, their prestigious status in the socioeconomic set up is similar to that of prosperous agricultural land in many parts of India. However, the Indian lakes and reservoirs are facing water quality problems due to fast changes in the society living in their watersheds. Changes in the regulatory mechanism, industrialization of the country associated with urban development, new land-use practices and settlement on the banks of the water bodies, changes in the traditional use of the water by the population, etc., are among the many factors, which affect the water quality, particularly increased eutrophication. Recently, research on the relationship of a lake with the watershed characteristics, including its sociological status, has been receiving increased attention. Integration of hydrological, social, economic, and cultural aspects with the knowledge of the limnology to control the environment of the lakes and reservoirs has been emphasized in India.

Based on the example from Africa given in this chapter, it is recommended that regional governments should explore viable alternatives to rain-fed subsistence farming. Traditional agricultural practices that, for instance, incorporate slash and burn techniques of farming, should be discontinued in order to arrest deforestation and soil erosion. Further, riparian environments are especially prone to water-borne diseases such as malaria, bilharzia, and diarrhoea. In addition to ongoing environmental campaigns, effective consultation with riparian communities is required to ensure that these communities take responsibility for the quality of their delicate environment. Freshwater sources throughout the region are often used for domestic supply. Before an effective campaign on riparian attitudes to environmental pollution and sanitation can be mounted, it is necessary to put in place stringent policies for pollution levels from effluent and bacterial contamination, and to enforce those policies.

Environmental management is a broad-based challenge that falls under different sectors. An uncoordinated sector approach, such as can be seen in countries like Malawi, creates a situation where the thrust of environmental conservation is unclear. A central coordinating body for environmental management is essential to avoid sending conflicting messages around practical concerns, such as the fight against the water hyacinth.

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