Have you ever wondered a day when you wake up to reality without any water to drink or wash your face it? The scenario seems scary but it has become highly likely to occur. 97% of our planet’s water in oceanic or salty and inconsumable.
The usable or drinkable water is dependent on our glaciers, rainfall and groundwater. However, due to climate change and our own misuse of resources we are staring at a future without a drop to drink.
The condition in various countries of the world like South Africa, India, Sub Saharan region etc is alarming with average daily availability reducing at an exponential rate.
In such a situation, it is imperative that we come up with smart solutions and overall strategy to arrest such depletion of resources and enhance our potential to conserve water. Thus the overall policies, processes and activities that aim at sustainable and judicious use of water are collectively called as water conservation.
The responsibility to ensure the availability of water resources for posterity lies with the present generation and this includes other supplementary actions like energy conservation and environmental protection.
The truth is that water forms the basis for all forms of life. All floral and faunal species require water for their survival and sustenance. For human beings, the uses of water are even more diverse and manifold- irrigation, transport, recreation, hydropower generation etc.
The strategy for conserving water resources must focus on efficient use of water, regulated and proper design of various irrigation and hydel systems, rainwater harvesting, water pollution prevention, population and use controls etc.
However, one of the most important steps has to be afforestation and environment protection. We know that trees have the ability to hold water (through soil etc). They help mitigate the damage caused by floods and heavy rainfall.
Another important step is recycling or reuse of water coming from industries and domestic settlements. This water cannot be allowed to pollute the natural reservoirs like rivers or groundwater etc.
It must be properly treated, purified and put to reuse in an efficient and sustainable manner. In order to sustain human survival and health of our planet, we must act now before it becomes too late.
We owe it not just to our ancestors who saved the resources for us but also for our future generations that have an inalienable right to such resources as well.
