We All Depend on Water

Water is one of the basic necessities for life for almost all living creatures. For humans and many aquatic species, fresh water is specifically required, but that precious resource is degrading in many parts of the world. The result is trying for both aquatic life and civilization in some parts of the world. We need to take a critical look at this problem, however, because jumping on the bandwagon at home may not always be the right solution.

The problem is hitting the hardest in northern Africa and some parts of Asia where both access to safe water and fish diversity suffer. There are a multitude of organizations whose purpose is to bring safe water to some of these regions, and the Clinton Global Initiative and WASH Advocacy Initiative, backed by companies such as Proctor & Gamble, have recently committed to bring water to 2 million people in Africa. Stories like this are common, which may be due to the public outcries for assistance and the transparency of these issues and the number of people involved. Simply providing ways to clean water, however, may not be enough. The availability of fresh water in these regions is indeed low, but that availability is only part of the issue, and solar stills and desalination cannot solve the entire demand. The other factor is that water is heavily used in agriculture, and very little or virtually none is left or used for domestic needs. The situation in those regions -- limited water resources and a highly agricultural economy -- is inherently problematic. It is even more so problematic when you look at booming population densities and also pollution generated by unsustainable agricultural practices.

We like to think we are resource conscious here in the United States, often so we can feel good about ourselves for "saving the environment" or so that we can save a few dollars on our utility bills. Aside from droughts in some parts of the southwest, the U.S. is pretty good on water supplies, so putting a low-flow flush valve on your toilet won't likely make a big difference in saving lives. I am by no means arguing that being resource-conscious isn't a bad thing. Saving a little bit of water here and there saves money, saves energy, and can help the environment. All-in-all though, we are pretty efficient at drawing water and cleaning our sewage. The places that really need help are those that are developing and who are stuck using unsustainable practices to maintain their populace.

Innovations like the aquacone and desalination techniques can certainly have a major impact on regions where safe water is scarce, but if we are to address the problem of water supplies on a global scale, we need to step back and look at the big picture. This isn't something that we can just engineer our way out of with a clever piece of plastic. It needs to be addressed at the level of the global societal system. As we become more aware of our environment and how we must sustain it so that it can sustain us, we must change the way we operate. This requires some pretty major innovation as a civilization.