Water is the stuff of life. Indeed, we are mostly comprised of water (the human body is at least 55% water). It’s often easy to forget its role in not just sustaining the body day to day, but in running the world as a whole. Water is essential for agriculture, energy, transportation, nourishment, and, of course, the environment.
Let’s look at water security and its importance in the modern world.
The UN gave a clear and precise definition of water security, describing it as: "The capacity of a population to safeguard sustainable access to adequate quantities of acceptable quality water for sustaining livelihoods, human well-being, and socio-economic development, for ensuring protection against water-borne pollution and water-related disasters, and for preserving ecosystems in a climate of peace and political stability."
While you might (understandably) connect water security with scarcity, the term also refers to other forms of inclement weather and inadequate resources. Threats to water security include drought, flooding, and poor quality or polluted water.
Water security concerns us all, though, naturally, it is a more pressing concern for some regions. Countries more acutely impacted by climate change face greater water security risks.
As the World Wildlife Foundation puts it: “Water pollution comes from many sources including pesticides and fertilisers that wash away from farms, untreated human wastewater, and industrial waste. Even groundwater is not safe from pollution, as many pollutants can leach into underground aquifers.”
Lack of clean water is both a short term and long-term problem, as its effects are often not evident for years to come.
While it sounds like a paradox to mention both droughts and floods, both are signs of a compromised climate.
Floods have impacted several regions around the world, especially Bangladesh and India, where they have had a devastating impact on local agriculture.
As with any news story, talking to children about water security can be a fraught and sensitive topic.
Firstly, the Mr Rogers method of focussing on the helpers is a good step. The beloved American children’s TV presenter said to always focus on the helpers when witnessing scenes of emergency on TV. You can tell them that the situation is not ideal, while also offering hope.
So, encourage better use of water, at induvial, family and school levels.
At home:
At school:
Water supply affects us all. And we will be discussing this at a deeper level on a number of blogs in coming weeks and months.
Contact us today for a quote on international health insurance.
Before venturing to another country, make sure you have a health insurance plan you can rely on.
