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Doatia’s Water Crisis: Bertoni’s Bold Plan Faces Chamber Divisions

Doatian Journal – December 5, 2025

By Lena Horvath

DOA CITY — Chancellor Jax Bertoni of the Progressive Socialists (PS) has introduced the Doatian Water Reform Act (DWRA) in response to the escalating water crisis threatening Doatia’s long-term survival. As the 700-seat People’s Chamber debates the legislation, concerns over feasibility, costs, and political ramifications dominate the national discourse.

A Chamber Divided

The People’s Chamber is composed of:

361 Progressive Socialists

219 Conservative Party members

60 Environmental Justice Party (EJP) members

35 People’s Liberation Party (PLP) members

22 Doatian Nationalists

3 Independents

While the Progressive Socialists hold a majority, divisions within the party are emerging. Left-leaning PS members demand more aggressive reforms, including full nationalization of water resources and stricter regulations on industries. Moderates, however, worry about the 50 billion Doa price tag, citing concerns over effectiveness and unintended economic impacts.

Rebecca Loaz, leader of the Conservative Party, has condemned the DWRA as “an overreach of government power, bound to create more problems than it solves.” In a statement, she added, “Chancellor Bertoni wants taxpayers to foot the bill for a crisis his party’s overregulation will only exacerbate.”

The EJP, which often supports environmental action, has voiced concerns over the bill’s costs. Former Chancellor Shuri Recardo, who passed the Water Protection Act in 2023, argued, “We must act decisively, but we cannot saddle Doatia with debt or ignore the critical role of private sector innovation.”

The PLP, led by Penelope Draxton, criticized the DWRA for failing to renationalize privatized utilities, with Draxton calling it “a half-measure that prioritizes profits over people.”

Surprisingly, the Doatian Nationalists have expressed unexpected support, with leader Dontae Rose stating, “This isn’t about politics—it’s about survival. If Doatia loses its water supply, no amount of ideology will save us.”

A Crisis Decades in the Making

Doatia’s water crisis stems from three decades of mismanagement and environmental neglect. Persistent droughts, high rates of water consumption, and infrastructure decay have created a perfect storm of scarcity. Overuse of dams has led to sediment buildup, reducing reservoir capacities, while poor conservation practices have worsened the problem.

Compounding the crisis is the loss of freshwater to the ocean due to saltwater intrusion in coastal aquifers, which have become overdrawn. Reservoir evaporation is depleting existing water supplies at a rate of 5% per year, and underground aquifers are running dry faster than they can replenish.

The situation is further exacerbated by policy failures:

• In 2012, Chancellor Cori Bernardino of the EJP-PLP coalition passed the Doatian Water Preservation Act, which introduced modest water conservation measures.

• In 2021, Chancellor Rebecca Loaz of the Conservative Party repealed the act, weakened regulations, and partially privatized utilities, leading to a 22% rise in water usage by industrial sectors.

• In 2023, Chancellor Shuri Recardo enacted the Water Protection Act, which focused on desalination and infrastructure repair but failed to address overconsumption. Critics argue that the act’s emphasis on expanding water supplies worsened the crisis by encouraging wasteful usage.

The crisis hit a critical point in late 2023 during the Doatian Revolutionary Front (DRF) uprising, when rebels destroyed a Hunaq reservoir, wasting 4% of the national water reserve.

Bertoni’s Plan

The Doatian Water Reform Act proposes:

1. Establishing a National Water Administration (NWA) under the Ministry of the Interior to oversee conservation, distribution, and infrastructure projects.

2. Allocating 50 billion Doa for:

• Upgrading reservoirs to reduce evaporation.

• Expanding desalination facilities to increase freshwater supplies.

• Repairing and modernizing pipelines to prevent leaks.

• Recharging depleted aquifers through managed groundwater projects.

3. Incentivizing industries to adopt water-efficient technologies and imposing stricter water usage regulations.

4. Launching nationwide conservation campaigns to reduce domestic and industrial water waste.

Bertoni defended the bill, stating, “We are on the verge of a national catastrophe. Without immediate action, cities will face severe shortages, industries will collapse, and our people will suffer. This is not just a budgetary decision—it’s a moral one.”

Public Concerns and Political Pushback

Public sentiment is divided. Many citizens, especially in drought-stricken regions, support the DWRA but fear potential economic repercussions. Businesses in agriculture and manufacturing worry that stricter regulations could lead to job losses.

“We’ve already had to reduce production by 15% this year,” said Layla Kornez, CEO of Doatian AgroCorp. “If these regulations pass without transitional support, it could devastate our industry.”

Rebecca Loaz has used these concerns to rally opposition, warning, “Bertoni’s plan is a fiscal black hole. The last thing Doatia needs is to bankrupt itself over a problem that private innovation can solve more effectively.”

However, the unexpected backing from the Doatian Nationalists could give Bertoni the edge he needs to secure passage. Dontae Rose called the bill “imperfect but necessary,” adding, “For once, we need to put country before politics.”

The Path Forward

The DWRA represents one of the most ambitious environmental proposals in Doatia’s history, but its passage is far from guaranteed. Bertoni must unite his party’s factions, address concerns from moderates, and navigate the strong opposition from Conservatives, EJP, and PLP leaders.

“This bill is our chance to fix what decades of neglect have broken,” said Arlen Vix, a moderate PS member. “If we fail, the cost won’t just be financial—it’ll be existential.”

As debate intensifies, the People’s Chamber faces a stark choice: act decisively to secure Doatia’s water future or risk deepening an already catastrophic crisis.

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