This was very shocking to me to find out a few years ago that water was used for all these things because It doesn't seem that water is used for more than the daily chores we do at home.
So as the earth keeps warming up and the population keeps increasing, the demand for water will only skyrocket. The effects don't really seem so large here in the United States, but in various areas across the world there are water fueled riots because of shortages. The Arab Spring that started in 2011, many say, was partly the result of rising food prices. (Rising Food Prices - Arab Spring) Sana'a, Yemen is risking the possibility of becoming the world's first capital to run out of viable water supply as Yemen's streams and natural aquifers run dry. (Yemen Water Crisis)
For us in the United States, signs were given that when it comes to water shortages, we are not safe from any danger as well. The drought that occurred in the Midwest United States showed use just that. The drought has caused food prices to soar up.
Can you see the picture?... Rising temperatures... Rising Populations... Decreasing water supply... BIG PROBLEM... Water wars could actually become the new norm.
I remember watching a documentary called "Blue Gold: World Water Wars" describing how corporations are jumping on this opportunity of water shortages to... MAKE... A... PROFIT... They are trying to privatize the water supplies. Basically putting a fence around any major lakes or freshwater habitats and calling their own. The documentary says that many water companies have sprung up the past few years as a result. (Video Below)
The need to for sustainable practices in the use of water is not really an option at this point. With unemployment still high and some countries still in a recession around the world, the threat of higher food prices and low water supplies can trigger upheaval in the most stabilized of countries. This poses a huge challenge to us as people to further overcome these obstacles with corporate greed adding to this dilemma. In fact there are many across the Middle East and Northern Africa already experiencing this hellish condition. It is stated that between 50,000-100,000 people have died in the 2011 Horn of Africa crisis affecting countries like Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya where more than half were children under the age of five. (Horn of Africa Crisis)
Thats the reality of many people living in the world today.
Imagine your world... Without Water.
I really like the opportunity to watch documentaries, exposure to what is beyond the media is really important. It was interesting to see some of the figures in amount of water used for things that I certainly take for granted (i.e. electricity, clothes, steel, etc)
ReplyDeleteThe vitality of the basic necessity of water was never more pronounced to me than during an academic trip to Tanzania. As a first world person, it is very easy to take for granted the shear simplicity and luxury of having potable water at one’s fingertips in multiple rooms. As I worked with the people of Hannanasif in Dar es Salaam, much of this community was fortunate to have water stations located within a few blocks of a given residence. In this development model, women’s group collectives operated, maintained and protected the potable water source for the community. It was only through the cooperation of NGO’s, UN Development Initiatives and Community group action, that this particular neighborhood achieved what we would consider limited access to water. Unfortunately, most of the communities in Dar es Salaam did not have such a system. As a researcher, I was very interested in this model. This approach tended to address multiple issues such as community development, employment, security in addition to providing a vital service of water for this community.
ReplyDeleteWillems, I like anyone else find the thought of water shortages to be a scary, scary thing. Even members of well-educated and "advanced societies" like ours tend to not be so cordial when basic human needs are not met (as you pointed out). A peaceful society is a fragile thing, and certainly something like widespread water shortages would cause major upheaval that nobody wants to see or experience. I hope that we are able to embrace new ideas and attitudes when it comes to water conservation before it is too late to do so.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I was unaware of those figures regarding water consumption in your first paragraph. Thanks for sharing.
In addition to the issues of water scarcity and the private sector trying to capitalize on this situation, there is the problem of contamination of limited potable water sources due to carelessly thought out strategies such as 'fracking.' This is a technique whose full name is hydraulic fracturing, which involve pumping chemicals at high pressure into underground rock formations to release natural gas. The downside is possible contamination of groundwater supplies. Clearly this makes zero sense and we should always err on the side of caution when it comes to affecting critical items, such as potable water, upon which we depend for survival.
ReplyDelete