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WATER MANAGEMENT IN MONOTHEISTIC RELIGIONS

WATER MANAGEMENT IN MONOTHEISTIC RELIGIONS. Water management practices and motivation among the world’s three predominant monotheistic religions—Christianity, Islam, and Judaism—with an emphasis on Islam. Clark Siler, 10 Apr 2008. CE 397 – Transboundary Water Resources

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WATER MANAGEMENT IN MONOTHEISTIC RELIGIONS

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  1. WATER MANAGEMENT IN MONOTHEISTIC RELIGIONS Water management practices and motivation among the world’s three predominant monotheistic religions—Christianity, Islam, and Judaism—with an emphasis on Islam. Clark Siler, 10 Apr 2008 CE 397 – Transboundary Water Resources University of Texas at Austin Environmental & Water Resources Engineering

  2. Outline • Abrahamic and World Religions • Basics • Geographic distribution of religions • Water in Islam • Water as a social good • Water demand management • Water rights and ownership • Family planning (case study) • Synthesis

  3. Religious Timeline and Status 15M 2B en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Worldreligion.png 1.2B en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Worldwide_percentage_of_Adherents_by_Religion.png

  4. Islam Basics • Islam is a religion (and civilization) • (re)Established by Muhammad • Islam: submission to God (Allah) • A Muslim is an adherent of Islam • Muslim: one who submits to God • Muslims do not worship Muhammad but revere him as a prophet Islamic or Muslim? Islam encompasses much more than worship and a code of personal conduct implied by the word “religion.” It regulates virtually all aspects of individual and collective human life, for example, issues such as buying and selling, contracts, inheritance, marriage, family and intimate relations, and even elemental issues such as eating and personal hygiene and sanitation. Faruqui, Water Management in Islam, p. xv www.counterpoint-online.org/download/431/magee_islam_option2.jpg

  5. Islam and Christianity • Nation subdivided into religions, or • Religion subdivided into nations Christianity Islam en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Christ_Islam.png

  6. US Distribution of Religions www.valpo.edu/geomet/pics/geo200/religion/jewish.gif strangemaps.wordpress.com/2008/01/27/237-regionalism-and-religiosity/ www.valpo.edu/geomet/pics/geo200/religion/muslim.gif

  7. Water in Islam • Because Islam originated in desert regions, water resources are encompassed by religion From water we made all living things. Quran 21:30 http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/precip/CWlink/wayne/preciploop.gif

  8. Water as a Social Good • Water is a gift from God – a part of, and necessary for, sustaining all life • Water belongs to the community as a whole – no individual literally owns water • Priorities for water use: • Human drinking water • Domestic animals • Irrigation arbitrarymarks.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/pic_islam.jpg

  9. Water as a Social Good, cont. • Humankind is the steward of water on earth • Not world’s lords and masters, but friends and guardians • Arabic root of Islam, salam, means peace and harmony • Penalties attached to misuse of water, including polluting or degrading clean water • Muhammad forbade urination into stagnant water and advised against “evacuating one’s bowels near water sources, by the roadside and in the shade” arbitrarymarks.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/pic_islam.jpg

  10. Water as a Social Good, cont. • The environment has a very strong and legitimate right to water • Protect environment by minimizing pollution • Individuals, organizations, and states are liable for harm that they have caused to the environment • Water is given (from God) so all life can flourish—humans, animals, and plants • Water resources must be managed and used in a sustainable way • Follow universal values of fairness, equity, and concern for others arbitrarymarks.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/pic_islam.jpg How is water viewed in our society?

  11. Water Demand Management • Water conservation is central to Islam • Mosques, religious institutes, and religious schools disseminate this principle • Wastewater reuse is permissible in Islam • Must meet treatment levels to ensure purity and health • Full cost recovery is permissible; that is the cost of: • Supplying, treating, storing, and distributing water, as well as the cost of wastewater collection, treatment, and disposal • However, water pricing must be equitable as well as efficient • Privatization is permissible, but government has duty to ensure equity in pricing and service. How are we similar / different? flickr.com/photos/jimfitzpatrick/442330359/

  12. Water Rights and Ownership • Water is a gift from God so no individual literally owns it • Right to use, sell, and recover value-added costs of water • In Islam, water is: • Private property (water in private containers, treatment plants, distributions systems, reservoirs). The owner of the container has the right to use it, trade it, or sell it. • Restricted private property (lakes, streams, and springs in private lands). Owner has special rights over others, but also has certain obligations to them. Owner can trade water as any other good. • Public property (water in rivers, lakes, glaciers, aquifers, seas, from snow and rainfall). In natural state, water cannot be bought or sold. But, if infrastructure or knowledge have been invested to withdraw it, then the water becomes private property. • Use of (almost) free water systems • Urban rich and middle class get access, but the poor do not How are we similar / different? flickr.com/photos/babasteve/20003006/

  13. Family Planning • Not prohibited in the Quran or hadith • Contraception only allowable between married partners, with mutual consent • Method must control conception, not birth (prevention, not abortion) • Because children are considered a blessing in Islam, family planning should not be encouraged solely for material or political reasons egyptiancastle.com/services/downloads/wallpaper/images/islamic04.jpg

  14. Family Planning, Iran Case Study • Government taught contraception and family planning • Encouraged population growth (after revolution) was replaced by a major family planning program: • Minimum age of marriage was increased • Every couple must attend mandatory classes on birth control before applying for a marriage license • All forms of contraception are free • Results: • Halved the growth rate to 1.47 percent • Births per mother decreased: 6.7 (in 1980) to 2.8 (in 1997) egyptiancastle.com/services/downloads/wallpaper/images/islamic04.jpg Do we have any similar programs?

  15. Synthesis • What principles of Islamic water management, properly applied, would benefit our society? • Which good aspects of our culture(s) might benefit Islamic water practices? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Dome_of_the_rock_close.jpg

  16. Open Discussion DAENEMcKINNEY and TRANSBOUNDARY WATER RESOURCES

  17. Clark SilerGraduate Student University of Texas at Austin Environ. Water Resources Engr.CRWRBS – Brigham Young University Civil Engineeringclarksiler@mail.utexas.edu Personal Information Nov 2007

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