{"id":58704,"date":"2020-03-19T12:25:35","date_gmt":"2020-03-19T12:25:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.alj.com\/?post_type=news&p=58704"},"modified":"2021-06-14T07:02:16","modified_gmt":"2021-06-14T07:02:16","slug":"world-water-day-2020-protecting-our-most-precious-resource","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/alj.com\/en\/news\/world-water-day-2020-protecting-our-most-precious-resource\/","title":{"rendered":"World Water Day 2020: protecting our most precious resource"},"content":{"rendered":"

The term \u2018water scarcity is defined as: \u201cthe lack of sufficient available water resources to meet the demands of water usage within a region.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Despite some 70% o<\/em>f the earth\u2019s surface being covered with water, freshwater is scarce \u2013 with just 3% of the planet\u2019s water considered fit for human consumption.<\/p>\n

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Of that tiny fraction, a further two-thirds of this is unavailable to us, frozen into glaciers and icecaps, held in the ground and in the atmosphere. \u00a0According to the World Water Council<\/a>, some 1.1 billion people worldwide lack access to water, and a total of 2.7 billion find water scarce for at least one month of each year.<\/p>\n

With the United Nations (UN)<\/a> predicting that the global population will increase by 2 billion over the next 30 years \u2013 growing from 7.7 billion currently to 9.8 billion in\u00a02050, and 11.2 billion by 2100<\/em>[i]<\/a> \u2013 demand for potable water will only rise, likely exponentially so. As the global population grows, so does the demand for water, threatening to deplete natural resource, and to damage the environment.<\/p>\n

For years, climate scientists and researchers have warned that one of the primary effects of climate chance is \u2018the disruption of the water cycle\u2019<\/em>. \u00a0Across the globe, in the communities we have built and in our natural ecosystems, our use of – and therefore reliance on – water is integral and not just for drinking supplies, but for sanitation, food production, agriculture and energy generation. \u00a0As the earth\u2019s temperature continues to rise, the impact on global water resources has the capacity to be devastating.<\/p>\n

The potential damage of climate change to the earth\u2019s water supply is almost unimaginably far-reaching, with global trade and commerce also at significant threat, from government agencies to water utilities to farmers to residential water users. \u00a0More than a decade ago, Paul Dickinson, CEO of the CDP Water Disclosure Project<\/a>, aimed at promoting awareness of climate change and its water impacts to global businesses, warned that every sector should prepare for climate risk. Dickinson stated:<\/p>\n

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\u201cMuch of the impact of climate change will be felt through changing patterns of water availability, with shrinking glaciers and changing patterns of precipitation increasing the likelihood of drought and flood.\u00a0 If climate change is the shark, then water is its teeth and it is an issue on which businesses need far greater levels of awareness and understanding.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

How much have we learned, and how much tangible action have we taken, since then? \u00a0Not enough, a glance at latest data would suggest. \u00a0Many of the water systems relied upon to keep ecosystems and populations thriving have become stressed. \u00a0Rivers and lakes are drying up or becoming too polluted to use. \u00a0More than half of the world\u2019s wetlands, a critical part of our natural environment, have disappeared. \u00a0The impact is evident \u2013 and palpable \u2013 patterns of weather and water are altering, provoking more incidences of extreme weather, droughts and flooding.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s clear to see why one of the over-arching messages of this year\u2019s World Water Day<\/a> is: \u201cwe cannot afford to wait.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

World Water Day, held on March 22, every year, is an annual United Nations observance focusing on the importance of water, and why we must use our most precious resource more responsibly. \u00a0This year\u2019s theme, \u2018Water and Climate Change\u2019<\/em>, highlights the pivotal role that water plays in how the world mitigates and adapts to the effects of climate change. In this year\u2019s campaign, it calls to governments, policymakers, businesses and individuals alike to take action and to reduce water consumption and waste.<\/p>\n

At Abdul Latif Jameel, the water challenge has been at the forefront of our agenda for some time, recognizing that this growing global issue cannot be ignored. In a recent Spotlight article<\/a>: \u2018<\/em>Troubled Waters and the Path to Success\u2019<\/em><\/a>, Fady Jameel<\/a>, Deputy President and Vice Chairman, Abdul Latif Jameel International, outlined his own commitment to the cause, and spoke about the progress that Abdul Latif Jameel, and our affiliates and partners, are already making.<\/p>\n