Water Quality and Conservation
A resolution to increase the quality of the world's environment, at the expense of industry.
Category: Environmental
Industry Affected: All Businesses
Proposed by: Rubina
Description: The United Nations,
Acknowledging the essential nature of water for general economic use and personal needs, including drinking, bathing, sanitation, and food preparation;
Noting that many water sources (e.g., rivers, aquifers, and glaciers), and the water from those sources, cross multiple national boundaries, making water a shared resource among nations;
Concerned that the quality and availability of water for all is highly dependent on actions within individual nations;
1. DEFINES clean water as water reasonably free of pollutants and able to robustly support biodiversity of native aquatic species;
2. PLEDGES itself to the complementary goals of clean water and water conservation;
3. REQUIRES members to take steps to improve general water quality, appropriate to its various uses, including but not limited to restricting introduction of chemical or biological contaminants into water resources as a result of personal, industrial or agricultural uses;
4. DEFINES waste water as a mixture of water and dissolved or suspended solid or liquid contaminants discharged from sources such as, but not limited to, domestic residences, commercial properties, industrial or agricultural operations.
5. MANDATES processing waste water to remove contaminants and disinfect the effluent prior to discharge at any location that would bring it into contact with another water source or subwatershed which provides potable water within its boundaries.
6. REQUIRES nations to institute effective water conservation policies and techniques to maximize use and benefit of available water resources, including measures to be taken by individuals, as well as, those applicable to commercial use, such as reclamation of water used in manufacturing and cooling;
7. URGES the formation of regional consortia to examine and implement water quality and conservation policy and to provide management for regionally shared water resources;
8. ENCOURAGES nations to reduce pressure on water resources through long-range water supply forecasting, water planning and management, and policy decisions in pertinent areas, such as establishing water rights and priorities, urban development policies, and water banks;
9. STRONGLY ENCOURAGES nations to ensure persons' access to clean water in sufficient quantities to meet their daily needs for sustenance;
10. TASKS the UN Environmental Agency, established under UNR 217, with the following specific activities with respect to water issues:
a. Provide general, technical and educational assistance to nations in the development and implementation of water quality improvements, conservation techniques and management plans, identification of new water resources, and development of water-use auditing systems;
b. Produce annual water quality profiles for each member nation, adjusting for unique geology, biology and water resources concerns, and including non-binding potability and contaminant reduction goals;
c. Arrange aid in the form of low or no-interest loans to nations who lack sufficient local funding for emergency remediation in either water quality or availability issues.
11. ENCOURAGES members to work with non-member nations in cooperative projects to improve regional water quality, conservation and access.
12. AFFIRMS that nothing herein requires relinquishment of riparian or water rights, whether individually, communally, or state owned.
Votes For: 3,520
Votes Against: 1,039
