Water is recognized by the Government as a right to live

“We need to have good water management system in our country, but when it comes to managing the waters properly there will be no clean water to provide to the community or consumers in the national territory," said the Vice Prime Minister, Mariano Assanami Sabino, in his speech after dialogue with Civil Society in City 8 Manleuana, Wednesday (25/09/2024).

He added, water system within in country is the right to life, because water benefits people, plants, and animals, thus we need to have good water management in having safe and healthy water. When we look at the animals getting sick it is due to the lack of balance between safe food and drinking water.

“We together with the other entities, on how to produce better plan to give opportunity to the water systems within the country, so that it is in good condition, good food for people, plants, and animals to live healthy lives”, he said. "

Assanami said that the issue of water systems is essential, because water is the right of every human being, and it is necessary to manage it well, because it is not an individual, the Group, a party. But it belongs to the nation, thus it must be well developed for everyone.

On the other hand, the Director of the HAK Association added that water is human rights, and therefore it is necessary to improve water management in Timor-Leste, as water provides sanitation protection and enemies for all people to live in healthy condition. Therefore, the clean water system is very important for everyone, and it is a right to life, so that the relevant parties should give an opinion on how to build good management; developing the water sector that is sufficient for everyone to consume it properly.  

“We believe that all the means available helps to raise public awareness on the water system in Timor-Leste, to protect water in providing good, safe, and healthy life to everyone”, he underlined. Therefore, it is important to the relevant entities having dialogue particularly discussing these concerns, how to plan, and to invest integrated advocacy for the improvement of water and hygiene systems in the national territory.   

According to the Country Director of WaterAid Timor-Leste, Mr. Justino da Silva said that water is the fundamental basis to everyone, how to use water properly, in order to meet everyone’s needs, thus it is necessary in protecting the water system in Timor-Leste.

Water is the daily necessity for everyone’s health, particularly the malnutrition problems, and in Timor-Leste it almost 41.7%, it is impacted by the consumption of unhealthy water, thus collective efforts in making good plans to better develop water sector in Timor-Leste is necessary.

(EST 1) Source STL-MEDIA