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Download AudioAn internationally recognised authority on waste water systems says Māori hold the key to much-needed reform of the way water is managed.
Lokesh Padhye, a senior lecturer in Auckland University’s engineering faculty, says wastewater management lags behind Australia, Western Europe and many parts of the United States, with polluted rivers all too common.
He says the concept of te mana o te wai which has become a central feature of the reforms is critical
“Water is life in the Māori world view. How to practice in our daily life the sustainability practices about not dumping some of the worst chemicals and waste into our water to contaminate it, to make it polluted is such a critical concept and this is where I believe the three waters reforms can also play a role in the sense that we are looking at water holistically and not compartmentalising it into drinking water, waste water and storm water as such,” Dr Padhye says.
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