Water and other Commons

One of the common goods which has been spoiled and plundered is ground water. Politicians have found it convenient to forget that Malta is the ninth thirstiest country in the world.
Malta currently places 172nd among the 180 countries ranked by the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) on the basis of availability of renewable water sources.
With more than 8000 "registered" (but still illegal) boreholes drilled in to the ground, salinity in our water table is rising at alarming levels.
On the eve of the budget I reiterate the call on the government to protect the commons by limiting extraction to the Water Services Corporation (as the law already states) and to registered farmers whose extraction should be metered with the cost of irrigation being refunded until alternatives like treated sewage are made available to them free of charge.
It does not make sense to use ground water for irrigation of lawns or the production of table water or soft drinks. If General Soft Drinks need water to produce mineral water or soft drinks they should pay for it. Presently they are getting it for free.
We have to stop taking water for-granted.
On a political level we need a greater affirmation of the defense of the "commons". The defense of the commons from private "enclosures" fits perfectly with Green politics in a globalised world and the new challenges of global warming.
The commons do not belong to individuals. Neither do they belong to the state in its narrow definition. Neither do they belong to present generations as future generations have to be safeguarded. They belong to humanity i.e. to both present and future generations.
It is also a conceptual framework to govern process like information technology which creates the exciting possibility of a free and shared pool of knowledge.
Even things like the pension and health system should be regarded as part of the "commons". For we have the responsibility to ensure their sustainability to protect the rights of future generations.
Malta was also a pioneer in the field being the first to propose a law of the sea based on the concept of the "common heritage" of mankind. The same concept was proposed with regards to climate.
But when it comes to local matters politicians have shown immense disrespect to the "commons."