Desalination not a long term solution to Pacific water shortage

Updated November 2, 2011 09:42:08

Countries recovering from desperate water shortages across the Pacific are begining to look at long term solutions to avoid future water crises.

In Tokelau and Cook Islands emergency declarations have been lifted and government's are looking at options such as permanent desalination plants.

But drinkable water and other aid is still being delivered to Tuvalu from Australia and New Zealand.

Presenter:Geraldine Coutts
Speaker:Peter Mueller, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the Pacific

Listen: Windows Media

MUELLER: The situation in both Tuvalu and Tokelau is that stocks have been beefed up in terms of water storage and that there's been some rain of course, so that has led to an increased supply as well, which is good and in these places there's a lot of rainfall normally sold. The fact that there's in the current drought conditions, below average rainfall doesn't mean that there's not water falling that is useful. I think also there is at the moment an additional capacity for desalination, so that should ease the immediate needs.

COUTTS: Mr Mueller, we've heard a lot about Tokelau, Tuvalu and the Cook Islands, but we also know that Samoa, American Samoa and number of other countries are also suffering water shortages. Do you know what's happening in those countries?

MUELLER: I understood that supplies were getting low in the northern Cook Islands and in Samoa, but they've had some good rains last week particularly and over the weekend and so that has filled up a lot of the household tanks and the government storage tanks and so that has really eased a lot of the shortages of needs,

COUTTS: Well, authorities in Tuvalu have been at pains to point out that even though it's rained and the tanks are full, that the droughts not over. Is that your message as well?

MUELLER: Well yeah, the forecasting shows that the current conditions will last until early 2012, so that's under average rainfall is expected yeah, below average rainfall.

COUTTS: And as I said in the intro, water being delivered to Tuvalu, 450,000 litres of drinkable water through drought stricken Tuvalu. How much longer will some of these islands need that kind of assistance?

MUELLER: I don't think to long if the current conditions apply. I mean we noticed that September was really a very, very dry month. Historically, I think it was the lowest on record since 1933, so that tells you that it was really an exceptional situation and as I said, there's been measures taken since in terms of water delivery, there's been rainfall that has come again, there's been desalination units. So my feeling is and this is what we're hearing from government and from New Zealand defence force and from our people on the ground is that for now it should be OK and even with below average rainfall, and rationing of course as well, that should take people through this dry spell.

COUTTS: You're the coordinator of the Humanitarian Affairs in the Pacific for the UN. What are you seeing from a humanitarian point of view during this drought period that you've observed and need to comment on and what might need to be done in the future to relieve the suffering that's been going on?

MUELLER: Eh yeah, well I think it's important in these cases to have a clear preparedness for these kind of situation which means warning systems and warning mechanisms and measuring of consumption and rainfall, that is of course critical so we don't end up in a situation like this. Once we are seeing that we're moving into a period of drought, then measures can be taken in terms of rationing and in terms of hygiene awareness, in terms of preparing schools and hospitals for these kind of situations.

COUTTS: Sorry, go ahead.

MUELLER: Yeah, so I think that is critical to have drought management plans in place, that are linked with these kind of indicators and triggers that can forecast these droughts and of course that all the rainfall catchment and the guttering and the roofing and the tanks and all that are really well installed and that there's no wastage there because I think that is critical for the long term.

COUTTS: Well, given the extent of the drought in some of these countries, emergency declarations have been made as we've heard. What do you think that is the reason why there hasn't been an outbreak of illnesses throughout this period, why do you think that is?

MUELLER: That's a good question. I think because the health systems are quite well prepared, people are quite resilient as well and I think that the sort of emergency measures taken were at the right spot. We did see in Tuvalu an outbreak of diarrhoea, but that was quickly under control, so in fact I think it was a good rapid response with good messaging around hygiene awareness by government, by the Red Cross etc. that prevented from further suffering.

COUTTS: Do you think that desalination plants are the future for the Pacific to overcome these drought measures?

MUELLER: Probably not. I mean we don't know what will come in the future in terms of climate change, but under the current conditions it may be a sort of emergency measure if there's future droughts, but normally, rainfall that fall should cover the needs of people and it's a matter of having those catching that rain and not wasting rain so that means using every space from roofing and etc to catch the rain. I think that is what most development programs have been working on with government and other development partners in terms of integrated water resource management. So that's been the policy and the practice for years. I think this also led to the fact that despite that September was an exceptionally dry month, that in fact we haven't seen two or that was an emergency that the situation was quite quickly under control again. So that is I think that is for the long term needs, it is really the sustainable way to do it is to focus on catching the rain, other than desalination.

COUTTS: Is desalination to expensive?

MUELLER: I think so, yes, yes, and it requires maintenance and ongoing maintenance and cost of course, so to catch it when it falls from the sky is much better and it's much cheaper.

COUTTS: As long as it does keep falling, yeah?

MUELLER: In terms of rain, is a lot if you compare it to what a desalination machine can produce . People underestimate that. But if it rains only a little bit on these islands, that already is much more than a machine can produce.