Water & War

"The water and sanitation crisis claims more lives through disease than any war claims through guns"

This is a quote from Water.org, one of many nonprofit organizations determined to improve the quality of life for the millions of people that lack access to safe drinking water and sanitation. I chose to write about this quote because I found it so surprising. I could have told you that it was true just based on the numbers that you see on all of these websites dedicated to educating the world about the water crisis, and yet I would never have thought about it this way if not for that quote. War is a deadly and dreadful thing, something that has permeated human history, something that has claimed so many lives. So when you think about how terrible war is, and then realize that the water shortage is more deadly than that, it is an eye opening experience. And yet governments all over the world are spending far more on the military than they spend on fixing the structural problems behind the water crisis. But the ironic thing is that one of the reasons behind increased tensions between countries is the global water shortage. If we put a little more effort into fixing the system and a little less into blowing each other up, we could really begin to see some improvements in the world.

But the government has a lot to deal with. They may not see water shortages that are concentrated outside of our country as immediate priorities. So it falls to the people to take care of our fellow human beings. There are so many ways in which we can help, not just by reducing our own personal water use, but by donating just a little to bring water to those who so desperately need it. There are tons of great websites raising money to raise awareness and funds. Even if you don't donate, it is always helpful to raise awareness so that other people are alerted to this vital issue. Words have an incredible power. They can even be turned into water.

Some great websites:

http://thewaterproject.org/

http://www.dropinthebucket.org/

concernusa

Our Water Usage

Most people don't realize just how much water they consume in a day. Sure, there is the water that you drink, but if we only needed water to drink it, we would not be in the throes of a water crisis. It is not because of those long showers either. What is really draining the planet's water supplies is the food we eat. It is incredible how much water it takes to put food on the table. It takes 130 gallons of water to grow just a pound of wheat. But that is nothing compared to the 2650 gallons it takes to produce a pound of coffee. Because so much of the food grown goes to livestock, vegetarians consume about half the amount of water that non-vegetarians do.

But what can be done about this? We cannot simply stop eating, or give less water to the plants and hope that they produce the same amount of food. So the steps we take need to involve the water we use directly.

This is a link to a survey that will tell you how much water you use in a day as an individual. Look to see in which areas you use the most water and think about ways that you could cut back. Every drop makes a difference!

Overview of the Issue

Three quarters of the planet is covered by water. Most Americans see water as a matter of course, able to go to the water fountain at any time and get a drink. But approximately 40 percent of the world’s population has limited or no access to safe drinking water and sanitation. It is not so much a problem of not enough water, but one of proper water treatment and distribution. People lack access to the water that they need for survival. The water is not only for human consumption and use, but is also used for agriculture and care of domestic animals. This means that not only is this a water crisis, it is also a major agricultural issue because seventy percent of the world’s fresh water supply goes to producing food. The demand for agriculture will not decrease, but the world’s water supply will.

Though it is an issue that primarily affects third world countries, no nation is immune. According to the World Bank, 80 countries now suffer from dangerous water shortages. The hardest hit continent is Africa, where drought is sucking away their already insufficient water supply. These deficiencies are only going to get worse if the planet continues on its current course. Our water use is unsustainable as it is, and the demand for water is increasing with the planet’s population.