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The Politics of Water

The future of water availability on earth will depend on many factors - including how we resolve the issue of water ownership, how we improve water conservation, and how we develop new water-saving technologies as the world’s population continues to grow.

Ownership...

Water is not only a resource, it is our most essential resource, but who actually owns it? It turns out that this is an extremely complex question, and the answer is rarely as simple as ownership.

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In a particular area known as the Klamath River Region - an area that stretches 250 miles from southern Oregon through northern California, it is clear that multiple interest groups can claim a right to use and consume the water. However, having a right to use the water is not the same as owning it. For example, regional and national governments often set priorities for water distribution, but of course they have no control over whether a particular year will bring an abundance of rain and snow. In California the state government promises specific amounts of water for cities, suburbs, farmers, and fisheries, but collectively, these promises far exceed the actual amount of water that is available.

Throughout the world, the issues of water rights and ownership have created many conflicts, and in India and Bangladesh, water rights have the potential to trigger all out war. India has plans to divert water from rivers that flow in the Himalayas into Bangladesh. Since the water originates in India, does India own the water? Does Bangladesh have any legitimate claim to this water that it’s people have relied upon for millennia?

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In the water poor Middle East, water rights have long contributed to political tensions. In both the 1967 Arab – Israeli war, and the 1980 Iran – Iraq war, disputes over water use added to the conflict. Water experts predict that as populations in these arid regions continue to grow, conflicts over water and ownership will continue to increase.

One solution that has been proposed by economists is to allow all interested parties to openly compete for water and let free market forces determine the price.

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In this way, they argue, water could be owned, but the true value of water could be realized and paid for. While market forces can be useful in determining the appropriate distribution of water among competitors, government oversight will be key to ensure that the needs of the people and the environment are balanced with the needs of the private corporations.

Water Conservation Using Technology…

Ultimately, we all have to share a finite amount of water. In some regions, such as the northeastern United States, water is extremely abundant. In other regions, where water is more scarce, water conservation is a necessary priority.

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In recent years, many developed countries have begun to find ways to use water more efficiently through technological improvements in water fixtures, faucets, washing machines, and toilets. As far back as 1994 federal standards were issued for toilets and shower heads in the United States. For example, a toilet manufactured prior to 1994, typically uses around seven (7) gallons per flush, but a toilet sold after 1994 must use only one and one half (1.5) gallons or less per flush, representing a 78% reduction in water use.

Australia and some European and Asian countries have moved to dual flush toilets. First invented by an Australian company in 1980, this type of toilet allows a user to push one button for a normal 1.5 gallon flush to remove solid waste, but another button produces a much more efficient .75 gallon flush to remove liquid waste. Although dual-flush toilets have not been embraced in the United States, consumers have embraced improved efficiencies in shower heads and washing machines.

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In countries where a percentage of the population is particularly wealthy, household water use includes watering lawns and filling swimming pools, both of which requires large volumes of water. In some regions of the United States, homeowners have been encouraged, or even required, to plant vegetation that is appropriate to the local habitat. For example, the City of Las Vegas, Nevada, paid homeowners to remove water consuming turf grass from their lawns and replace it with more water efficient native landscaping. Vegetation substitution can result in a savings of 520 gallons per 10 square feet of lawn per year.

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One of the best ways to reduce water use and consumption is to produce more efficient manufacturing equipment. In the United States, businesses and factories have achieved a more sustainable usage over the last 15 years, mainly through the introduction of equipment that either uses less water or reuses water. Industries that use cooling water for machinery, have converted from once-through systems (systems that bring in water for cooling then pump the heated water back into the environment), to recirculating radiator cooling systems (closed systems that push heated water through radiators then recirculate the water back into use for cooling equipment).

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The worlds growing population and the expansion of irrigated agriculture have increased global fresh water withdrawals more than fivefold over the last 50 years. Global water use is expected to continue to grow with the human population through the early part of this century. Unsustainable increases in water usage worldwide, is projected to continue until at least 2020, when the estimated gains from water saving devices will begin to taper off.

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As we get closer to the 2020 peak water use date, water usage and distribution will no longer be an inconsequential localized problem, it will become a worldwide crisis that affects every person on the planet - unless new even more efficient technologies and techniques are developed and implemented…

Thank you for reading…