#purificaton

I think most people are at least somewhat aware of water issues but there does not seem to be a concerted effort to conserve water or use it more wisely.  At least in the United States, I think most people take clean, safe, available water for granted.  Water is a necessity for life but many millions of people lack access to water, much less water that is potable.  So it was with some interest that I read an article last week discussing water as a “right”.  This was from a company perspective about its use of water and its commitment to be a better steward of the water it uses within its operations and the communities in which it operates.  In July, the United Nations took this a step further when the General Assembly adopted a resolution recognizing that access to clean water is a fundamental human right.  It took this long to do this?

Passing a resolution and making it effective are two different things.  There is still a long way to go before water problems are resolved and this is not limited to Sub-Saharan Africa where many millions of people have to forage for water.  China, a growing and modernizing country, has severe water problems of its own.  A report last week described water reaching crisis levels in Beijing and other areas of the country.  Although China has spent tens of billions of dollars building dams and reservoirs, hundreds of Chinese cities continue to face water shortages and deteriorating water quality, even while industrial firms continue to pollute water sources.  With 40 percent of its population living in the dry regions of the country, China really has no easy fix for its water problems.

If China is having problems fixing its water problems, I wonder what will befall poorer countries that lack the funds and other resources that China has been able to bring to bear.  Water is certainly a human right (as it must be) but global cooperation will be required to make this a reality.  A few days ago a report surfaced about two tribes in Pakistan that have been fighting over irrigation water.  Over 100 people have been reported killed and five villages burned in the dispute.  Kind of makes one glad to be living in the United States. 

But wait – farmers in the Klamath River Basin in Oregon have broken into facilities that control irrigation water to redirect to their farms.  The once guaranteed but now cut-off irrigation water is pitting farmers against the government.  Lawsuits have been filed in Northern California alleging that the state, in a backroom deal, illegally turned over the publicly-owned Kern Water Bank to an agency controlled by giant corporations.  Plans to pump water from rural Nevada to supply Las Vegas were overturned by the Nevada Supreme Court.  Kansas and Nebraska regularly fight over water withdrawals from the Republican River.  The list goes on.  I guess it does not matter where you live – water problems abound.