Participants attending the April 25-29 regional consultation on water, organized by the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Desk for Women in Church and Society (WICAS), affirmed the church's role as stewards in water management. The theme of the consultation held in Nairobi, Kenya, was "Stirring the Waters." It was the second such meeting by the LWF Department for Mission and Development through WICAS, since the July 2003 LWF Tenth Assembly mandated an action plan on water. A first meeting for the European region was held in September 2004.

"The church is called to nurture and protect life. [It] therefore has an important mission to educate the faithful regarding the ethical and moral implications of the way we live in relation to the rest of the creation," Rebecca Tanui, a representative of the Economic, Social and Cultural Rights network in Kenya told the gathering. "It is impossible to separate religious belief and ethical considerations in the environmental field because of their intimate relationship with our world view. The church is called to be faithful stewards to God's resources and creation," she stressed. Statistics reveal that over half of the Sub-Saharan countries face water shortages. Estimates predict that by the middle of this century, two thirds of the global population in over 60 countries are likely to face water shortages. In Africa, the water crisis has led to decreased food production, thereby undermining household food security. Participants in the LWF consultation called on churches to link up with other organizations advocating for water, including non-governmental and international organizations, community owned groups and the private sector to achieve the Millennium Development Goals of reducing by half the number of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water by 2015

Joshua Mukusya, program manager, Utooni Development Project in eastern Kenya, a successful community owned initiative in water harvesting, also challenged the church to "take the lead in bringing water to its people." He called for greater involvement by churches in community-based soil and water conservation, tree planting, terrace farming, and water tank and sand dam construction especially in semi-arid areas.

Dr Colette Bouka Coula, LWF Department for World Service representative in Mauritania stressed the role of literacy classes in information sharing about environmental conservation. Citing LWF's involvement in reforestation activities to counter increasing desertification in the north west African country, Bouka Coula called for concerted efforts including working with other faith groups to raise awareness about issues that affect people's daily lives.

Priscilla Singh, WICAS executive secretary, shared information about the effect of global warming in Africa and cautioned that "an ethical vision, good leadership, far-sighted planning and solidarity are needed to awaken sufficient sense of urgency and resolve at this point in time."

(By Nairobi-based LWI correspondent, Lillian Kemunto.)

(The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the Lutheran tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund, Sweden, the LWF currently has 138 member churches in 77 countries all over the world, with a membership of nearly 66 million Christians. The LWF acts on behalf of its member churches in areas of common interest such as ecumenical and inter-faith relations, theology, humanitarian assistance, human rights, communication, and the various aspects of mission and development work. Its secretariat is located in Geneva, Switzerland.)

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