What is Water Scarcity?

Earth in brackets

No Water No Life Ecosystems and all living beings depend on water to function and exist. In absence of water, or when water resources are too contaminated ecosystems can not support life any more. Virtually all chemical processes that are carried out by living organisms require water, from photosynthesis to DNA replication to nutrient transportation; without water there is no life!

Although water is an extremely valuable resource, we aren’t always fully aware of its importance. We depend on water just as much as any other species. Some of the major challenges that society faces are directly related to water access and quality of water, such as limited access to education or health, and poverty. In addition, key sectors of the economy, such as agriculture, industry and energy, also rely on a stable water provision.

With one billion people denied from their basic right to safe drinking water, the world’s poorest people are paying the highest price in this crisis.

Diarrhoea is a leading global cause of illness and death, and 88 % of those deaths are caused by inadequate availability of water for hygiene, unsafe drinking water, and sanitation facilities.

In some regions of the world with limited access to water resources, water gathering from far distances is one of the main causation's for irregular school attendance, especially for girls.

Industry accounts for 22% of all human water use

Agricultural production accounts for 70% all human water use

2.2% of World Total Primary Energy Supply is generated by hydropower facilities.

how much? how good?

The blue planet is not drinkable

97.5% 2.5% Saltwater

freshwater

30% groundwater

0.3% Rivers & Lakes 69.7% ice & Snow

Water is a finite resource. Fresh water represents only 2.5% of the total water on this planet, but only 0.3% of that are lakes and rivers, fresh water available.The problem is that not only there is little of it, but humanity over consumes, pollutes and miss-use water at ever increasing alarming rates. Humans, are the species that uses more than 54% of all fresh water available in the world. Because we use so much, we have deprived other species and entire ecosystems from this precious resource; the environmental impact is critical. Despite our disproportional use of water, the benefits are unfairly distribute. Millions of people can’t meet their minimum safe water quota that allows good living, in most cases not because there isn’t enough, but because it is inequitably distributed. Water scarcity is often an human induced problem.

There are two types of water scarcity; physical water scarcity (limited water resources, not enough water per capita and excessive demand), and economic water scarcity (people cannot afford to pay for safe water due to non-existing or inadequate infrastructure or elevated costs, even though water is available).

Around 1.2 billion people, almost one-fifth of the world's population, live in areas of physical scarcity, and 500 million people are approaching physical scarcity due to climate change, droughts, population growth, over use, over management. And around 1.6 billion people, almost one quarter of the world's population, face economic water shortage. Water scarcity is being induced even where there isn’t a physical scarcity.

...and we just want more.

Currently, people use up to 54 % of accessible freshwater in rivers, lakes and underground aquifers.

By 2025 water withdrawals are predicted to increase by 50 % in developing countries and by 18 % in developed countries. This predicted demand will offset any progress made and the water crisis will reach critical levels in less than a generation. Three factors responsible for this increasing demand for fresh water are: Overconsumption Water overuse isn’t just long showers and big pools. In fact, the largest portion of fresh water used is virtual water (amount of water used in the production of a good or service). We need to avoid the consumption of water intensive products. Our own level of consumption has a global impact, primarily on fresh water availability and ecosystems depletion.

The glass always gets bigger Our global demand for water only increases as time goes by

total water

1950

2012

2050

Population growth: Consumption levels are clearly distinct between developing and developed countries, the more developed the greater the demand for resources. But, it’s in developing countries where the highest population growth levels are found. The correlation between water demand and population growth is not linear. Elevated population growth rates combined with higher levels of consumption results in an multiplied effect on resources depletion.

Poor water resources management: Currently, water resource management is poorly regulated. From water withdrawals to consumption significant unnecessary loses are observed in the methods of extraction, transportation and distribution. Pollution is also a problem of poor management and lack of regulations.

Shiny false solutions Commodification of water The solution predicated by some governments and the corporate power in international platforms such as the World Water Forum and Rio +20 is to commodify water. A fresh water market controlled by financial institutions and managed by private companies will solve the conflict of competing interest over access to water by increasing the price of water as high as there are enough customers willing to pay; meaning water for the highest bidder.

fresh mountain water

privatization

Apart from magnifying the already existing social inequalities, commodifying water will not regulate excessive use and pollution from activities with the greatest water and carbon footprint.

Economic activities such as oil extraction, mining, dams construction, and farming industry will not be affected by an increase on water prices.

Privatization of water services There is enormous pressure from international financial institutions and corporate lobbyist to privatize water services because water is scarce and water consumption needs to decrease. Under the name of efficiency and cost-recovery, water will be denied to those who can’t afford it.

It is ludicrous to address the water crisis by tackling household consumption, when agriculture and industry account for more than 90% of total water use, a far greater water footprint.

Real Solutions Reduce over consumption: Over-consumption is a symptom of over-development. The idea that infinite economic growth is possible is simply not true. A new idea of development has to be envisioned in which we live within the earth bio capacity and in harmony with other species and our environment.

Limiting population growth Over population is a problem. Unlike any other species that reaches a maximum population level, we have managed to overcome: diseases, predators, limited space and food, with technology. Empowering women, decentralizing power, and democratizing natural resource management, combined with poverty eradication and greater equality within societies and across nations are all necessary for any population control program to be effective and humane.

Improve efficient use: Technological advances, improved and better efficient ways of extract resources and produce goods are not enough to solve fresh water scarcity. However, in combination with a drastic curve in consumption and population control efficiency gains can be very helpful. Better irrigation techniques will provide us with more time to work on other viable solutions. Technology and relevant knowledge on resource efficiency should be transferred more freely, especially to developing countries that need it the most.

People and ecosystems’ lack of access to natural resources will result in a global ecocide. We are running out of time, human water demand for resources must be significantly reduced, now!

Whose right is it anyway?

The right to life depends on water. Therefore water, as one of the basic needs for every creature on this planet, is an unavoidable right that all human beings and species should have. The United Nations General Assembly declare that there is a human right to water and sanitation. Nearly 80% of countries recognize the right to water, and just over half of them recognize the right to sanitation.

All other basic human rights depend on water (right to life, to food, to housing, to education, to take part in a cultural life, to an adequate standard of living, etc.). But the right to water is constantly denied by developed and developing countries.

Realizing the rights to water and sanitation may help target resources to deprived populations and avoid discrimination in water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services.

Important to know: Declaring the human right to have access to water is not the same as ratifying the right to water. Having the right to access water does not specify about the quality, quantity or cost of that water; it is trick! This right could be met by simply installing a water pipe to a house, even though water is extremely expensive or bad quality. The human right to water, in the other hand, means that everyone has the right to accessible, safe (good quality for drinking and cooking), and affordable water.This is what really counts.

Water words

who we are Earth in Brackets is a College of the Atlantic student group engaging in environmental and sustainable development politics. Since 2006 we have sent delegations to UN meetings under the Convention on Biological Diversity, Framework Convention on Climate Change, and Commission on Sustainable Development. With a human ecological approach, we try to bring a sense of justice--environmental and social--to the fore. We believe another world is not only possible, but necessary, and we want to bring more young people into the struggle for and celebration of that world.

Text by Anyuri Betegón ‘15 and Adrián Fernández ’15 Design by Khristian Méndez ‘15 College of the Atlantic 2012

www.earthinbrackets.org @earthinbrackets facebook.com/earthinbrackets

sources: Graphs: Industrial water use: UN water statistics http://www.unwater.org/statistics _ res.html Percentage of countries that approve water as a right: GLAAS 2012 Report http://www.who.int/water _ sanitation _ health/glaas/GLAAS2012 _ PR _ FINAL.pdf Water scarcity: Water for life decade http://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/scarcity.shtml Water and poverty: UNDP http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/water _ rights _ and _ wrongs _ english.pdf Wate Energy consumption: KEY WORLD STATISTICS http://www.iea.org/textbase/nppdf/free/2010/key _ stats _ 2010.pdf Graphs: Water scarcity diagram: FAO http://www.fao.org/nr/water/art/2007/scarcity.html water distribution diagram: UN water statistics http://www.unwater.org/statistics _ res.html

another world is possible...