by Johannes Koch
In support of World Water Day, we have put together a series of images from around the globe documenting the issue of water.
Click to launch the slideshow: "WaterAid: Would you drink this?"
World Water Day is partly about citizen action to conserve water but it is also about the growing global problem of scarcity and inequity of distribution. It's been said before that a resource war is already being fought. Having recently watched the documentary We Feed the World I was shocked to find that CEO of Nestle Peter Brabeck, was pleased that there was a two-tiered world: one in which water is a commodity, the other in which something specific must be done to help those who can't afford it. He did not give a clear 'yes' to the question: should water be considered a basic human right?
Take a look at this oD slideshow and consider this:
Nearly 1 billion people, which is about 20% of the world's population lack access to safe, drinkable water. About 2.6 billion people, which is about 40% of the world's population live with lack of basic sanitation. 4,500 children every day die of lack of clean, safe water."What surprises me is that water is a bare necessity yet there is no clearly identifiable global agreement on this. While civil and political rights (like the Geneva Conventions) have gained significant clout, human needs (such as food, shelter, clothing and water), which I am willing to consider human rights, have been left behind.
And so, without further ado, the water world experts would say that World Water Day is:
an international day of observance and action to draw attention to the plight of the more than 1 billion people world wide that lack access to clean, safe drinking water. Celebrated since 1993, World Water Day was designated in 1992 when the United Nations (UN) General Assembly passed a resolution. With each passing year, the observance has grown larger and stronger.In many ways though, World Water Day is still a relatively unknown event. Even with the support of the UN and efforts by leading non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and committed individuals, World Water Day is today at a similar stage as Earth Day was in the early 1970’s – important but relatively unknown."
You might remember that ad: turn off the tap when you brush your teeth - do this and you could save up to 5 liters a minute.
If the entire adult population of England and Wales did likewise, this could save a total of 180 mega litres a day – enough to supply nearly 500,000 houses."
I lived in Melbourne for a while and people there were very conscious about the amount of water they used, not least because they were facing (and still are facing) the worst drought in ten years. This water conscious behavior boils down to: one shower a day of no more than two minutes (a so-called power shower), only washing your clothes once every two weeks and making sure that the drum is absolutely full; collecting the dirty water from your washing to flush the toilet; only handle flush on two; locating every possible bucket and container to collect rainwater (when and if it rains); and not unnecessarily wasting water to wash dishes unless the sink starts to come alive.
I did my best to stick to this but without being accustomed to it, it reads easier than it is.
