Chairperson, Ministers and hon members, water is a chemical substance composed of hydrogen and oxygen and is vital to all known forms of life. Clean drinking water is essential to human and other life forms. Water plays an important role in the world economy as it functions as a solvent to a wide variety of chemical substances and facilitates industrial cooling and transportation.
Each year, more than one billion of our fellow human beings have little choice but to resort to using potentially harmful sources of water. This perpetuates a silent humanitarian crisis that kills some 3 900 children and thwarts progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals, MDGs. The consequence of our collective failure to tackle these problems is the dimmed prospects of the billions of people locked in a cycle of poverty and disease.
The United Nations Millennium Project Task Force on Water and Sanitation recently recognised that the integrated development and management of water resources are crucial to the success or failure of the MDGs, as water is central to the livelihood systems of the poor. It is reported that in developing countries, South Africa included, 80% of all waste is discharged untreated because of a lack of regulations and resources. Population and industrial growth add new sources of pollution and increased demand for clean water to the human equation. Human and environmental health, and drinking and agricultural water supplies for the present and the future are at stake. Still, water pollution rarely warrants a mention as a pressing issue.
The UCDP feels that the issues around water should not be paid lip service. We need political willingness and commitment that will address the issues holistically and not isolate or reduce problems relating to water to being access to clean water only. When looking at access, we should also look at meaningful access to water and all services related to it. Nonetheless, the UCDP supports the Budget Vote for the Department of Water and Environmental Affairs. Thank you. [Applause.]