Water = H2O, a very simple formula but it is one of the most essential element to all living organisms. A drop of water can save a life!

source: http://www.readingscripture.org/

This August, a water conservation event will be held in Stockholm, Sweden which is the World Water Week. This event has been hosted and organized by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) since 1991. It has since been an annual event for the global water issues. This year’s theme is Water and Food Security. The objective of this World Water Week is to work on a few of global issues related to water such as the effect of climate change to the earth’s water volume, the water scarcity issue especially in Middle East and as well as sanitation and hygiene crisis. Most of the collaborating organizations will gather in this event to assess activities and launch new initiatives and reports. For more information on this event, please log on to www.worldwaterweek.org.

According to this organization’s research, water actually has multiple purposes such as maintaining ecosystem balancing and act as a sink to dissolve chemical and biological substances. Global warming puts pressure upon water crisis, as water consumption is highly influenced by temperature. When the surrounding temperature gets higher, the more water will be used up to cool ourselves. On the other hand, the food crisis is an alarming world issue, as there is about 1 billion people still experiencing hunger and malnourishment, while overeating and obesity are on the rise. SIWI estimated that 1.5 billion people are overeating and 400 million are obese. This will cause ‘unnecessary’ pressure on both fertile land and water.

So, how does water function in our life? Why is water so important?

Water is important for food crops production – our major source of food. 1500 liters of water is needed to produce just 1 kilogram of grain. The existence of our protein source – fishes also depend on water to survive. Forests which provide us numerous resources also need water to supply the life of flora and fauna. Besides that, the electricity that we use comes from water, because water is an excellent, cheap, renewable and pollution-free source of energy to generate electricity.

Other than that, water helps our bodies to remove toxins in many different ways through perspiration and urination. This is why doctors always advice us to drink enough water daily. Adequate amount of water will lessen the burden on our kidneys and liver by flushing out waste products. Every one of us needs water and even the other organisms like animals and plants. An organism doesn’t need to be told how important water is to their existence. A frog knows that it has to lay eggs in the water and so does dragonflies.

source: http://www.amditechnology.com/2011/05/tips-to-save-water.html

Although water covers more than 70% of the Earth; only 1% of the water is available as a source of drinking. Yet, our society continues to contaminate this precious resource. Typically, when the water supply is ample, we tend to use it carelessly and waste a lot of water. But our daily routines are interrupted when there is water shortage. It is almost impossible to do anything like bathing, drinking, cooking and cleaning. The day without water causes a lot of pains. However, a day without water will only makes us realize the importance of water.

source: http://oilygulf.wordpress.com/quotes/

The practice of saving water should begin now, even when we have all the supplies we need. Here are some tips:

• Don’t run the washing machine unless you have the full load. You can save approximately 3785 liters of water a month if you start practicing this step.
• Fix the faucet and leakage, so you can stop water dripping from the pipe and this small drip can waste up 35 liters in a day.
• Harvest rain water to wash the drain of your house or to water your garden.
• Turn off the tap water while brushing your teeth or while applying the soap to your hand. This simple little act can save 95 liters a month.
• Take short shower, challenge yourself to have a shower within 5 minutes. Shorten your shower by a minute or two and you’ll save up to 567 liters per month. Always choose to shower instead of a bath.
• Don’t wash the vegetables under the running tap. Instead, soak it in a container and try to reuse the water for cleaning the lawn or watering the plant.
• If you accidentally drop ice cubes from the freezer, don’t throw it to the sink. Drop them in a house plant.
• Monitor your water bill every month for unusually high use. Your bill and water meter are the tools to help you discover any leaks.

Our nature, our future!

source: http://www.unwater.org/worldwaterday