US expert: Water will be either a devasting source of international friction of a hopeful occasion for international cooperation
Syria, Economics, 7/25/2001

In a statement to Arabic News, former US senator and water expert Paul Simon recommended that to address the water crisis efforts should be concentrated on immediate actions and embarking on both short term and long terms approaches.

Mr. Simon who recently concluded a visit to Syria during which he met with Syrian minister of the environment and other officials concerned and gave a lecture at al-Assad library on means of encountering the water crisis at the regional and global levels said that the short term approach is extremely important for Syria because " you" have an immediate problem that have to be faced, noting that " but those immediate problems will grow even with the best management and therefore " You have to look for long term approach and that means looking at the entire region and it means looking new technologies such as desalinization and constructing, in mechanism for enforcement of any agreement that Syria and the regional governments have reached." He added that as for the short term approach, we have to work on getting farmers to use less waters; to work on and maintain pipes of the old city, and to work on problems of pollution," noting that when water becomes polluted it will not be usable.

As for the long- term approach, former Senator Simon added:" You must look at desalinization and family planning and the regional approach of the problem.," adding that " Syria can not solve the problem by itself ."

He added that if leaders get together and approve agreements then, they have also to agree on international enforcement mechanism. So it is not easy, but any thing worthwhile is not easy. He cited an example that if Syria, Jordan, Turkey and the Palestinians agree to act on this matter, then they agree to abide by the decision of the enforcement mechanism agreed to. And this is can be made effective by the International Public opinion.

On his visit to Syria the former US senator said that his visit came at the invitation of the US embassy in Jordan, noting:" I have written a book. I studied enough to know that the issues of waters will be a key issue towards the Middle East and also the World."

He continued that the question if we can get people of different background to work together." I believe we can. I am here in the belief if we can have regional meeting, work out agreement, and reach a vision, then countries like the US, Germany, Norway, Japan and the international bodies will help very significantly on financing." He added " I am no longer in the government in the US. but I know the key people and I will do what I can to help, but there has to be a dream here and also a vision.

On how he saw the response of the Syrian side and their sensitivity to the issue of the water crisis, Mr. Simon said:" I was impressed by their interest, their openness and their ability to really do something ," noting this openness was all evident in his meeting with the ministers of the environment, the agriculture and irrigation and other officials concerned.

On the importance of his visit to opening the door of cooperation between Syria and the US, Mr. Simon said:" I would like to see Syria and the US working together. We must find areas where we agree and where we disagree." On his recent book on means of challenging the water crisis, Mr. Simon said that the book looks at world's situation on water and their focuses on individual area like the ME and then answers questions on what we should be doing.

On his impressions about the country, Mr. Simon said that this is his first visit to Syria. He continued " I am interested in history. Your great past is something to be proud of. I find people in Syria very friendly ."

He said:" My hope is that people in this region will develop and agree to a vision on water. And as they work together on water they will solve the water problems, they will learn that working together is not that bad and they will solve their arising problem in this regard."

Worthy mentioning that Former US Senator Paul Simon was born in Oregon in 1928. At 22, Mr. Simon was a key witness to testify before the senate's Crime Investigating Committee.

In 1954, Simon became a representative in the Illinois House, and then a state senator in 1962. With a reputation for political courage and integrity, Mr. Simon was elected lieutenant governor of Illinois in 1968, and was the first in the state's history to be elected with a governor from another party.

In 1994 Mr. Simon announced that he would retire from the Senate when his term ended in 1997. He returned to Illinois to teach and write at Southern Illinois University, and to run his own public think tank, the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute.

Among the many works written by former Senator Simon is " Tapped Out: the Coming World Water Crises and What We can Do about It." In it, Simon delivered a call - to - arms to citizens and political leaders to act to save the world's water supply, and argues that in the coming years water will be either a devasting source of international frictions or a hopeful occasion for international cooperation.

Previous Stories:
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