27.09.2016Water scarcity, a global problem.
Water scarcity, a global problem.
27/09/2016
Water availability has been taken for granted for a long period, but now its immediate implications on economy, politics, food production and even lifestyle are obvious.
Water availability has been taken for granted for a long period, but now its immediate implications on economy, politics, food production and even lifestyle are obvious. Water scarcity is an environmental problem that involves areas all over the world. This is the addressed theme on “Water in plain sight”, a book written by a journalist named Judith Schwartz. This book analyzes the water situation around the world in order to explain the water scarcity main causes and to propose some solutions that may lead to a more efficient water usage. In a recent interview, Schwartz said that a significant part of the problem has to do with the human conception of water. Water is seen as a static item instead of as a circular resource that may be employed in a much more efficient way.
Beyond the noticeable uses of water, Schwartz employs the term “water footprint” as a tool to raise awareness on the industrial usage of water. Absolutely everything around us, from a burger to the clothes we are wearing, utilize a high amount of water during their manufacturing process. The key point is to make an efficient use of the available water. Again in an interview, the author offered the example of a rural village in Africa, were “people said they have managed to improve their food performance as they had control over water”. One of the assertions that may serve to define the whole author ideology on this theme, states “a healthy soil is their wealth”. The search for a better future, both for the agricultural and farming productivity and for all living beings, who need water to survive, involves understanding and working with water cycle. The keystone is investigating what makes the water cycle works and how to maintain the essential balance at the same time as to obtain the maximum benefit from the hydrological resources. Every drop counts!