Water is a precious resource; you’ve heard it plenty of times. The human body struggles to last more than 4 days without it. But other than our Bear Grylls survival instincts, what makes water so ‘precious’? It can be forgotten about beyond quenching thirst and giving life. Which is why in this blog we’re going to highlight how water can transform the world. There are many international obstacles to overcome, and water plays a vital role in them all.
How water can transform the world by building resilient and fair societies
Recently on our blog, we looked at water scarcity abroad and how it can affect all countries, not just developing nations. However, water scarcity isn’t always down to overuse or a lack of rainfall. Sometimes, a lack of infrastructure plays a role.
Locations that struggle to get water also tend to suffer when it comes to everyday living conditions. Water provides the opportunity for sanitation, growth, and health. This means job opportunities, from farmers to doctors and everything in between, are lost. You cannot grow crops in a field you cannot water, and doctors can’t practice in an unsanitary facility.
We can transform the world by delivering water to all communities. It will help build resilient and fair societies. The only obstacle to overcome is putting the infrastructure in place, which when you consider everyone in the US and Australia has access to water, it’s more a matter of finances for those in developing nations.
Water can transform the world by supporting nature
Plant more trees! Save the planet! Climate change is a hot topic of conversation, and rightly so. It’s why we write this blog every week and why we urge our members to bring tips and tricks into their homes to reduce their carbon footprint. We supply them with multiple activities every week to try and help them do their bit to tackle climate change. But you know what else can really help. Water.
Just like us, nature survives on water. To tackle climate change and transform the world we need to stay within the planet’s natural balance of carbon in the atmosphere. More water, more greenery, more oxygen, less carbon, reduced temperatures, only then can climate change become a tamed monster.
However, we cannot create water. All water on the Earth has always been there, it merely changes state throughout the water cycle. The important thing is that we harness it and use it wisely. This means not sending unnecessary thousands of litres to homes for 15-minute showers but using that water to protect freshwater ecosystems and grow crops.
Reducing waste and pressure on resources
We often talk about reducing water consumption. But did you know that reducing your waste can also do this? For every product you buy, water is needed. It might be the water required to grow an apple or create a plastic bottle – even your clothes require water to be manufactured.
You may have heard of the term ‘circular economy’ before. In short, it means nothing is wasted, everything that is created can be reused or transformed into something new. Keeping the value in the product and reducing demand on more resources. Including water.
By reducing our waste, we minimise pressure on water resources. Suddenly we can transform the world because we’re conserving and protecting water supplies. It’s amazing how it’s all connected. It means there’s no one correct way to transform the world, but multiple, allowing everyone to get involved no matter what nation or financial state they’re in.
What role do cities play?
It’s estimated that by 2050, 70% of the world’s population will live in a city. Cities consume two-thirds of the world’s energy and produce the most carbon emissions. Like we’ve already mentioned, climate change, water usage, carbon emissions, they’re all connected to one another. So how can cities make a difference?
As towns grow and evolve, so does their demand for resources like water. Cities across the world vary drastically. In some nations, there are slum areas where there is little to no sanitation, in others, only the richest can afford to live there. With so much of the world’s population relying on cities and their resources now and in the future, it’s important that they’re well planned for any growth.
If cities are planned with innovative climate change initiatives in mind, we can overcome many issues. Water can be provided, recycled and distributed fairly to the entire region. Thus, improving the efficiency of water usage within cities where the majority of populations will live. It protects all the residents who live there and can help transform the world.
What role does water play in connecting it all?
Ultimately, water can help create systemic change. It is a common theme throughout all areas of society – food, nutrition, sanitation, wealth and innovation. Without it, these areas struggle. But as it is a source that we collect rather than create (like energy and electricity) managing it is a little more difficult.
The use of water in transportation, renewable energy, and all other innovative areas, can completely transform millions of lives and the future of the planet. It’s important that when we think about transforming the world and tackling climate change, we recognise water as playing a key role.
When you take a step back, it’s quite remarkable just how much impact water has on the world. While it’s common knowledge how much we need it for our bodies, we rarely look at it as being able to transform the world. We know that as individuals, we cannot create infrastructure for developing areas, or create a recycled water facility for cities, but we can reduce our demand for it. Possibly the biggest way we can contribute to climate change is by minimising waste and pressure on resources. That means recycle more, use less water, protect our oceans and not filling up the paddling pool every day this summer.
