Holding on to vanishing water

Any guesses on the most critical problem facing humanity today? Yes, water scarcity. Already visible in pockets, this will spread to more parts and become the scourge of the civilisation.

An interesting book,Out of water: From abundance to scarcity authors look at practical ways to solve the issue. Storing water better will be one aspect. Be it big dams or ponds, tanks, small reservoirs and groundwater, a combination will be required.

The authors lay a six-point plan for overhauling water use to meet competing demands from agriculture, industry, cities and the environment. Our recommendations are that water planners: 1) gather high-quality data about water resources; 2) take better care of the environment; 3) reform how water resources are governed; 4) revitalize how water is used for farming; 5) better manage urban and municipal demands for water; and 6) involve marginalized people in water management.

Water management and understanding how climate change is affecting water availability will play important roles. We need to value the natural environment much more than we have in the past. (To phrase correctly, we need to value environment!)

With a third of the world’s inhabitants facing water scarcity, all sectors need to use water more efficiently. A good example that demonstrates how cities can do so is that of Sydney, where ‘water wise rules’ now restrict times at which gardens can be watered, ban sprinklers and only permit car washing at facilities that recycle water. New design principles are helping to reduce storm water runoff and increase the amount of water recycled, while a desalination plant is putting seawater to use. Meanwhile, industries are beginning to embrace the concept of ‘water footprinting’, where water use from ‘crop to shop’ is calculated to highlight where savings are possible.

How much has your city incorporated of such ideas?