Apr
26
Week 10: Is there anything we can do?
April 26, 2008 | | Leave a Comment
By Elmy Lung
All the talks of water shortages and foreseeable conflicts, but where does that leave us with dealing with the situation?
For a start, people must acknowledge the water is a finite resource that, without proper and careful management, it will run out. The first step is to make small adjustments in our daily habits that can save water- discard power showers and spend less time in it; save water from baths to flush toilets; make sure taps are tightly closed to avoid dripping… there are many ways in which this can be done and it only requires a little more attention paid to the topic.
What’s hard is actually ensuring that this mentality of saving water is not just empty talk. The Singapore government, with their launch of NEWater back in 2000 (although the plans were drawn out in as early as the 1970s, an idea they referenced from the U.S.) has made good progress throughout the years. Now, up to 86% Singaporeans are prepared to drink water, shedding the mentality that it was once waste water or simply what we flush down the loo. The same initiative must also studied.
Just a day ago, an article on CNN’s website said that it is not hard to desalinate water.In fact, the U.S. National Research Council
is trying to initiate more research done on the area so that it will help meet the nation’s water needs by adopting the method. The report is sponsored by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Of course, the study is to find ways to lower the cost and help evaluate the environmental and ecological impacts from desalination. There is a severe lack of research done in this area which is also one of the main reasons that hinder the further development of this technology. The article also mentioned that at the moment, it is mostly big businesses that are putting money into research in this.
But for countries that may not have the resources to carry out large scale scientific research or build expensive infrastructure for desalination plants (if that is later proven to be the way forward), they may also look into water- saving ways of irrigation. At the moment, irrigation is one area that utilizes most water in many countries. A lot of the time, such amount isn’t even used properly. The reliance of sprinklers working to water plants induce great water loss. The introduction of drip irrigation, where water is slowly fed directly on the soil to reach the roots prove to be a more efficient way to farm. The cost of this is also very affordable.
So far, there is much action from the business world- all with an objective to open up their businesses for more profit. Government action is often limited and people’s awareness is appalling. But does that mean there is nothing that we can do?
I hope that my posts throughout the weeks have given readers a better picture of how water is a global issue, and to also highlight the media coverage is often scarce. I hope that it will also allow us to reflect on some of our actions and to make a change for the better.
