A Global Plan For Water Conservation

There is a water crisis which faces many parts of the world and it is a threat to survival of human beings since humans are primarily dependent on water. Shortage in drinking water is beginning to show its effects in first world countries, but is a current major problem facing lesser developed countries which have not taken drastic steps to harvest water and purify it to make it safe for human consumption. In developed countries the population growth has strained available water resources and stretched the ability of governments and private firms to provide safe drinking water to the vast majority of the population. Seventy one percent of

Water, like food, is a necessity for human life that is used for many purposes such as agricultural, industrial, and domestic systems. While water is a common element around the world not all of it is clean and able to be consumed or used by humans. With only a percentage of the world’s water being clean and the use of water increasing, the availability of water around the world has become a common issue in the developing and even the developed world. This may be a smaller problem in areas close to clean water sources compared to areas far from a clean water source but, the availability of water is not strictly based on location, it also depends on the specific political and social needs and issues of the area as well. These all become issues that must be accounted for when deciphering whether water is a basic human right or a commodity and what action must be taken to aid the developing water systems in community’s that lack them.

Everyday, billions of people use water all over the world. They use water in drinks and food. They use water for bathing and hygiene. They use water in agriculture and industry. They use water for so many things. However, there are many problems with the usage of water around the world. In his editorial, “Our Water System: What a Waste”, Michael E. Webber explains how America has a water problem, and how that problem can be solved.

In the book “Blue Future”, world-renowned water activist Maude Barlow, inspires readers as she explores her vast experiences and knowledge to outline a key set of principles that offer a solution to what she pleas to be “the defining issue of our time” (Barlow, 2013, p. 4), the fight for water equality. Principle One: Water Is a Human Right, drives the concept that water should be delivered to all, while pressing into the higher powers that act as barriers to the recognition of this vital concept. Principle Two: Water Is a Common Heritage, disputes the ethics behind privatization of water and reinforces the notion that this vital resource is to be viewed as a public good, which should not be bought nor sold. Principle Three: Water Has Rights Too, explores the environmental aspects of water supply, pushing for changes in current laws and practices that put the earths water sources at risk. Principle Four: Water Can Teach Us How to Live Together, urges the global community to join together in order to address a common issue of water insecurity, in addition to adapting our currents ways, allowing us to “live more lightly on the earth” (Barlow, 2013, p. 207).

Among all of the resources in the world, there is one that we do not often consider to be diminishing. The masses take this resource, water, for granted. When the average person takes a single look at a world map, they see multiple blue oceans covering the Earth. But, although we are surrounded by water, our clean water reserves dwindle rapidly. In her article, “Water Works”, Cynthia Barnett attempts to bring this issue to greater light and offers her own solutions. While I agree with many of Barnett’s points, she fails to look at the arguments of her detractors to the detriment of her already flawed case.

One statement can be seen as the premise for National Geographic’s Water: Global Challenges & Policy of Freshwater Use (2013): “Water is life” (p.8). The book discusses how access to clean freshwater is not only essential to our survival, but shows it is also a contested resource. With much freshwater being unavailable due to location, sustainable water management decisions are an important part of supporting regions across the globe. National Geographic’s book elaborates on multiple freshwater issues and highlights how important water is to our survival. Providing regional, water-related examples of conflict, critical challenges, mitigation efforts, and economic importance it reveals many common themes regarding freshwater and its global importance.

Water scarcity is a major issue the world now faces because of the prolonged global warming that the Earth has been enduring. Global warming has been causing a dramatic change in the Earth’s atmosphere, water supply, as well the ecosystem. It has caused glaciers, that hold a great deal of the world’s freshwater supply, as ice, to melt into the surrounding oceans because of the Sun’s heat warming the waters, and melting the glaciers. This has caused a problem for countries that rely on those sources. Not only the warming of the Earth, but also the multitude of pollutants that currently affect water supplies such as fecal matter, lead, and garbage, harm the available drinking water and render it useless. Due to the fact that certain countries are more polluted than others, just by default, their water supply has a greater chance of contamination. Therefore, the most ethical thing to do would be divide up remaining water equally amongst all countries. However, America and other first world countries will get privilege over the water because of their resources, wealth, and power.

Water is a critical component for all life on earth and for humans it is even more than just a source of hydration. Humans use water for household utilities, the food service industry, manufacturing, power production, for recreational purposes such as in pools, ice rinks and for boating but most of all water is used for agriculture irrigation. Given this vital need for water, various international laws recognize a human right to water including the United Nations, which stated that “The human right to water entitles everyone to sufficient, safe, acceptable, physically accessible and affordable water for personal and domestic uses” . In another United Nations report issued originally in 2006,

What is known about the bodies of water on this planet is that 97% of all water on earth is salt water, which is not suitable for drinking. Only 3% of all the water is fresh and only 1% is available for drinking, which leaves only 2% of the available fresh water sources lock in ice caps and glaciers. However, with the growing population rate and such a small percentage of all the water on earth, it only makes sense that we must preserve and conserve these precious resources (Evans). According to UNEP senior director Klaus Toepfer, “ history provided grim reminders that failure to manage water resources properly has caused the end of civilizations – in Mesopotamia, but also in other countries, such as Ethiopia, where the ancient civilization of Aksum collapse – partly because of deforestation and its consequent water-related impacts”

In today’s society the value of water is greatly underappreciated, this is probably due to the lack of education across the globe. We abuse water as if it is an infinite resource, while at the same time not individually being responsible for solutions to the waste of water. In this essay I will provide a summary of the chapter that was assigned to me. I will also discuss the chapter by focusing on its core argument, explaining how supporting arguments are constructed around the core argument, and describing what kinds of evidence are used to support these lines of argumentation. The chapter that I was assigned was chapter five, which was the topic of water.

Water covers 70% of our planet, and it is easy to think that it will always be plentiful. However, freshwater, what we drink, bathe in, irrigate our farm fields with makes up only 3% of the world’s water, and two-thirds of that is stored in frozen glaciers or unavailable for our use. Many of the water systems that keep ecosystems thriving and feed a growing human population have become stressed. Rivers, lakes and aquifers are drying up or becoming too polluted to use. Already, 80 countries suffer from water shortages that threaten health and economies while 40 percent of the world—more than 2 billion people—does not have access to clean water or sanitation

What is the one thing that all humans can agree on? Clean water. Then why are roughly 844 million people around the world living without access to clean water? (UN Water) As simple as it may seem, there are complex layers that have overlapped for generations, leading to an endless cycle of poverty. The scarcity of water contributes to issues in health, education, and poverty. Water impacts nearly every aspect of life; however, the most shocking fact is that we already have the solutions to provide safe water. The first obstacle that we must overcome is the allocation of resources. Now, more than ever, we have access to the world’s finest research and technology that could very easily end the water crisis. The solution to the water crisis starts with spreading awareness and reaching out to generous donors. Proper funding can be raised to reach the goals of charities across the globe. Sustainable clean water technology can be distributed to some of the most poverty-stricken countries in the world, such as Ethiopia, Somalia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, which all have populations of over fifty percent living without improved drink water sources. (Africa Development Information) I believe we have the means to provide solutions to put an end to the water crisis, but it will require effort from donors and local communities alike. It is possible within the decade that no one will need to drink unsafe water again if we are united by this cause.

Life springs up around water sources. It is no coincidence that some of the greatest civilizations have been build need fertile bodies of water. Known life relies on water to sustain that life. So it is no surprise when a debate arose in 2013 around comments made by Nestlé Chairman Peter Brabeck regarding privatization of water and the fundamental human right to survive from dehydration and illness from non-portal water consumption. Although the context of Brabeck’s comment was taken out of context, issues surrounding the access companies like Nestlé have been given to bottle their water when people do not have access to clean water and droughts are threatening crop production. Adding a price tag is not the answer. The market, both these companies and their consumers have a major role to play in the management of water; a role that requires a change in mindset of privilege many citizen of the United States, and other countries that do not see the direct effects that serious clean water issue have on people that do not have it.

In today’s society, the idea of a limited resource is not a foreign concept. Most people understand that eventually humans will use up many of these resources, such as fossil fuels, and they will cease to exist. However, very rarely does a conversation about limited resources get started over the water. While water itself is not a limited resource, clean drinkable water is becoming scarcer as people continue to use excess water. The documentary “Last Call at the Oasis” highlights how precious water is to survival and just how much miss use of water occurs in the United States alone. Even though the United States has gone down the wrong path with its water consumption methods, it may not be too late to recover. With the proper systems and education in place, the chances of delaying a water crisis increase exponentially.

It entails finding ways to maximize the value of water use and allocation decisions within and between sectors for sustainable social and economic development. It involves getting the most not only out of scarce water resources but also out of other natural, human and financial resources. And it relates not only to the efficiency with which water is used, but the efficiency with which it is “produced