Water Management and Islamic Economic Development: Crisis in The Muslim World

Abstract

Ensuring access to clean water and sanitation for all is one of the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations. The importance of management and universal access to drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene, not only for individual health and well-being, but also for socio-economic progress. Good water management contributes to economic development in several ways, including increasing agricultural productivity, supporting the industrial and energy sectors, facilitating tourism and recreation, and contributing to poverty alleviation. Water management and stewardship is a recommendation embedded in Islamic teachings with various basic values that serve as the foundation for its implementation. However, the majority of Muslim countries (OIC) are still lagging behind in terms of water management and sanitation compared to non-OIC countries, with various accompanying issues. This paper explains the relationship between water management and economic development, along with views from an Islamic perspective and the actual conditions in Muslim countries.