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Water importance in our Daily Life
Imagine starting your day without water. Within the first fifteen minutes, you’d struggle to function: no water to drink, no means to brush your teeth, flush the toilet, or take a shower. And this is just the visible water. Behind the scenes, water irrigates the cotton in your pajamas and sheets, powers your bedside lamp, and aids in mining the filament for your light bulb. It’s in your coffee, the milk you pour, and the alfalfa that fed the cow producing that milk.
But where does your water truly come from? Is it a nearby river, lake, or groundwater aquifer? The average American household of four uses around 400 gallons daily. Contrast this with families in developing regions, such as Africa, who might use only 5 gallons per day. Their mornings are starkly different: often, women and girls trek miles to fetch water for daily needs, a task making them twice as likely as boys to be responsible for collecting water.
These families understand their water sources intimately. They know if it runs low or gets polluted, pinpointing who is to blame. This direct connection to water underscores its importance, with over 1 in 10 people globally lacking access to clean water, and 1 in 3 without access to a toilet. Unsafe drinking water claims more lives than wars.
In 2015, the United Nations launched the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a 15-year plan to foster a sustainable world. One key goal focuses on ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all, emphasizing the importance of governing freshwater resources. Healthy watersheds and wetlands are essential, providing clean water, flood control, food, and numerous other services vital to billions of people.
However, freshwater ecosystems are at risk. We are losing our largest free-flowing rivers, and half the world’s wetlands have been altered or destroyed. With less than 1% of Earth’s water available for human use, increased demand and climate change are poised to leave two-thirds of the planet living in water-stressed regions by 2050.
What harms people also harms nature. The WWF’s 2016 Living Planet Report revealed an 81% decline in freshwater species populations from 1970 to 2012, a more dramatic loss than terrestrial or marine species. A poignant example is the Yangtze river dolphin, or baiji, which was declared functionally extinct in 2006, symbolizing the broader health issues of the Yangtze River ecosystem.
Water crises pose a significant threat to economies, environments, and people. Poor sanitation and unsafe water in developing countries result in estimated annual economic losses of $260 billion. Countries lacking sufficient water might see their GDPs decline by up to 6% by 2050. The degradation of freshwater ecosystems also exacerbates the impacts of climate change, such as devastating floods and prolonged droughts.
Yet, proper watershed management can mitigate these losses. Companies are adopting best management practices and setting sustainability targets, which makes good business sense by reducing reputational and material risks. Governments are also investing in infrastructure, institutions, and information systems, aiming for equitable and transparent regulations and allocations.
Take Ho Chi Minh City, for example. Faced with severe water pollution and frequent flooding, the city revamped its infrastructure and management, directly benefiting over 1.2 million people. This transformation highlights the importance of investment and guidance in tackling water issues.
Managing transboundary water resources is particularly challenging. For instance, the Zambezi River supports the economies of eight countries, requiring cooperation for sustainable management. While progress is being made, other regions, like the Mekong River basin, still face significant challenges.
To address these issues, political leadership and financing are crucial. Initiatives like the High Level Panel on Water (HLPW) aim to raise awareness and spur action on water-related challenges. Local realities must also be considered, ensuring stakeholders at all levels understand the state of their water systems.
By tackling water challenges at multiple levels, we can progress toward the SDG of ensuring sustainable water management and sanitation for all. This effort also supports other SDGs, such as health, poverty reduction, gender equity, agriculture, and climate resilience. The ultimate goal is for everyone to appreciate water’s value and fight for its protection, ensuring its benefits for future generations.
