Topic: Ensuring Access to Potable Water
Country: Panama
Delegate Name: Rachel Thomas
School: Forest Hills Eastern High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Panama position papers GLIMUN 2016 committees
The earth’s surface is comprised of 70% water, but unfortunately most of this is not potable, and therefore cannot be used domestically, agriculturally, or industrially. Without the access to usable water, citizens cannot perform essential tasks that are vital to their existence, and instead fall vulnerable to a multitude of diseases. Annually, safe water could prevent the world from 1.4 million deaths from diarrhea and 860,000 deaths from malnutrition. Panama’s access to drinkable water is comparatively higher than other Latin American countries due to our programs and infrastructure implemented by the government. 83% of our citizens are satisfied with our water, compared to Mexico’s 70% and Guyana’s 54%. We are therefore available to lead by example and help other developing countries with their indispensable need for potable water, because we view this as a dire need and necessity to all citizens.
The Republic of Panama’s constitution confirms that the State has a fundamental responsibility to develop the accessibility of drinking water and sanitation to prevent diseases and protect their citizens to aid in the advancement of human life. Prior to 2014, poor government management and regulation had impaired our water quality in rural regions of the country and failed to rid the pesticides and oil pollution. President Juan Carlos Varela Rodriguez created a strategic plan through the Instituto de Acueductos y Alcantarillados Nacionales (IDAAN), which has become the national water and sanitation company. To be implemented from 2014-2019, his plan includes a 19 billion dollar investment to provide every Panamanian with access to safe drinking water, housing, health care, security, and transportation, through the distribution of more than 95 thousand gallons of potable water in Nueva Providencia. Additionally, the plan also includes increasing water tanks, repairing leaks, building desalination plants and the perforation of wells. Our desalination plant cost 13.5 million dollars, to be implemented in December this year for the residents of Isla Contadora. According to the Global Health Observatory, in 2015 97.7% of citizens in Panama had access to potable water. Comparatively, only 88.6% of rural dwellers have this same access. There are still a number of rural citizens that need to be helped, but our nation is making considerable progress. There are approximately 3,000 water supply systems, of which 1,800 are managed by Juntas Administrativas de Acueductos Rurales (JAARs), and the remaining by health committees. Income from the Panama Canal has also been invested by the Programa de Desarrollo Comunitario para Infraestructura Pública (PRODEC) in order to improve community water frameworks and sanitation.
The Republic of Panama would like to see their fellow countries of the UN flourish and attain more pure water in hopes of securing a satisfactory lifestyle for their citizens. If other countries followed our example of investing funds in government programs concerning water cleanliness and infrastructure, we believe the international percentage of water potability will increase. Another proposed solution is building a desalination plant. Since desalination plants are expensive, at about 1 million dollars for every 1,000 cubic meters, poorer countries will have to request help from their allies. Properly educating citizens on reducing their corporate and personal water footprints will also increase water supply and awareness. By taking these things into account, these actions will ameliorate the countries of the United Nations by amalgamating the people and making the world a much safer place to live.
