蜜桃交友

By Francesca Merlo

鈥淥ne of the biggest problems in terms of governance over water is the lack of participation by those in need. We need to find ways to give these people a voice. They are aware of their needs, and they need to be able to express them鈥� they can help in choosing the best fit solution for their situation鈥�.  

This is the message Richard Connor, Editor in Chief on the United Nations鈥� World Water Development Report, has for those of us who have the power to help make a change in the water crisis.

A "global" crisis

The water crisis is not so much a 鈥済lobal鈥� one, as it is often referred to. Richard Connor explains that it is more a series of 鈥渟mall, or not so small, crises鈥�. The water crisis 鈥渄epends on who you are and where you are鈥�.  

He explains that in some cases, the issue is that there is too much water, in others there is too little water, in some, the water is too dirty, and in some cases, the issue is all three things 鈥� throughout the year.

The dirty water crisis

Richard Connor goes on to explain what he means by dirty water.

鈥淚n rural environments鈥�, he says, we still have large problems with herbicides and pesticides, but the largest problem is with nitrogen and phosphorus: fertilisers鈥�. These substances, create 鈥榓lgal blooms鈥�, which 鈥渋n turn, really deteriorate the quality of the water.鈥�

When the water is too dirty, he explains, the issue is not only that humans cannot consume it, but also that the quality of the water is too poor for cattle and other animals. The issue is then transformed into 鈥渢he cost of treating the water鈥�, which, as a consequence, increases dramatically.

In urban areas, the problem is related to the sanitation system, meaning that there are elements present in the water that when consumed lead to diarrhea and dysentery when consumed.

鈥淯nfortunately, 80% of the world鈥檚 waste water is released into the environment without any treatment whatsoever鈥�, says Richard Connor.

The waste water crisis

The term 鈥渨aste water鈥� is actually an oxymoron, he says. In many other languages, it is actually called what we would translate as 鈥渦sed water鈥�. It is, in fact, dirty water.

鈥淲aste water is not a waste, it is a resource鈥�, it contains 鈥� of course - lots of water that can be reused. Even if not for human consumption it can be used, for example, for crops and for washing streets and buildings in urban centres.

The 鈥渃ontaminants鈥� in waste water can also be extracted and used: The nutrients from the fecal matter in some waste water contain nutrients which can, and should, be used as fertiliser.

In wastewater treatment plants, through a process called anaerobic decomposition, the organic matter in the water is transformed into methane, which is a natural gas. This biogas can be used to actually run the treatment plants and make them energy self-sufficient. The methane can also be exported to be used, and even sold, as fuel. In Stockholm, the buses and some taxis run entirely off the natural gases produced in their wastewater treatment plant.

Saving water

鈥淥f course saving water begins at home,鈥� says Richard Connor. He explains that when you are saving water in the house, 鈥測ou鈥檙e not just saving water for the environment, you鈥檙e also saving all the energy required to purify the water, to make it potable and to actually pump the water into your house鈥�. With the evermore-present issue of climate change, saving water in the household is a very effective way of 鈥渘ot only saving water鈥�, but also of reducing energy use.

Human Consuption

The other side to saving water is that human consumption in reality only represents around 10% of the water that we withdraw and use across the world. The vast majority of water, 70%, is used in agriculture.

Every time we consume something, 鈥渨e are using or 鈥榚ating鈥� the water that is required to generate鈥� whatever it is that we are consuming.

鈥淚f you really want to be water friendly, it is a good idea to think about, for example the amount of meat you eat鈥�, because meat has a high water footprint. Richard Connor says that if everybody in the West shifted their diet a little, by for example, replacing some of the meat proteins with legumes and vegetable protein, 鈥渋t would make an absolutely huge impact on the amount of water we withdraw for agriculture.鈥�

Water in Energy

Solar and wind power use practically no water whatsoever, in comparison to the amount of water used in nuclear and thermal power plants. 鈥淭he more we switch our energy mix towards these renewables, the less water we will be using鈥�.

罢丑别谤别蹿辞谤别鈥�

If you combine what we can do at home, what we consume on our dinner plates and what we consume in terms of energy 鈥� we can make a huge change in terms of diminishing our water demands as the human population grows from 7.5 billion now to roughly 9 billion by 2050.

鈥淭here鈥檚 still plenty of water to support 9 billion people on the planet 鈥� it鈥檚 just a question of how we use it鈥�.

World Water Day 2019

The theme for world water day this year is 鈥渓eaving no one behind鈥�, so what should we do in order to ensure that no one is left behind?

鈥淭here鈥檚 a voluntary blindness on the part of certain authorities鈥�, says Richard Connor, because the poor, especially in slums, remain hidden. At times, they do not pay taxes; at times 鈥渙ut of sheer necessity鈥�, they are renting their homes illegally. For this reason, for lack of a legal registration, the authorities will say 鈥測ou鈥檙e not allowed to be here so we don鈥檛 have to fulfill the basic human right on sanitation鈥�.

鈥淭hat is a policy that completely needs to be overcome and overlooked鈥�, says Richard Connor. "Once people have access to sanitation they are healthier, they can work more, they can work better, and they can go to school鈥�.

A right

This policy, Richard Connor concludes, leads to maintaining inequalities and causes people to remain in poverty, whereas inequalities need to be fought, so that everyone can have the rights that they are entitled to 鈥� including water.