Why you need to get personal about WATER

We must conserve our water – on location in the Judean Desert, Israel

When Water Conservation Calls You to Action.

FROM CALIFORNIA TO JUDEA TO GUANGDONG

We see climate change’s impact on water tables around the world. On North America’s West Coast, for example, severe droughts are threatening the lives of millions. Vancouver has been blanketed by ash skies as forest fires rage across the province. Reaching as far south as California, the droughts are hitting hard. As water levels drop, the future seems grim. It’s been a tough summer.

Yet there are reasons to feel cautiously optimistic. For example, one ray of hope reaching California comes from halfway around the globe in Israel’s Judean desert.

I’ve seen first-hand how Israeli entrepreneurs have gotten full-on about the country’s fragile water supply. If you’ve never been to that part of the world, I suggest you pack lots of chap stick and moisturizer. After a week, you’ll probably be cracking at the seams because the country’s so bone-dry. Look at a satellite photo and more than two thirds is cream-colored desert. It’s a hot, arid place where water is scarce and the pressure to innovate is existential.

As Yossi Yaacoby, Chairman of the Water Technology & Environment Control Conference writes, “One of the most significant challenges in the global water arena is the reduction of pressure on natural water resources, among other resources, caused by rapid population growth, climate change and increased industrial activity.” In other words, how we get and use water is a challenge that everyone everywhere has to take seriously.

One example of a company bringing its success to California is IDE Technologies. After its success at home, IDE is now designing a water desalination plant in Carlsbad, California, providing 300,000 Californians with water through sea-water desalination. It’s ambitious and there are important environmental concerns that we shouldn’t ignore, but it’s a success story worth remembering.

The issue of potable water isn’t a problem limited to lands limited by desert. Even in our neck of the woods, where Black rainstorm warnings keep us protected from torrential downpours, our water supply is also of serious concern. Just recently, there was a disturbing scare regarding water quality in one of our housing estates. The water at the Kai Ching Estate was found to have dangerously high levels of lead. Scary stuff.

Water quality isn’t the only challenge. So is water supply. As May Ling Chan ,the CEO of our local Friends of the Earth chapter wrote, “The Guangdong government’s report on its water in 2011 showed that the average quantity of water in the Dongjiang Basin each year… was 30% less than the historical average for the past 50 years.” She called for a solid strategy with specific targets for water supply and conservation.

Regardless of where we are or where we came from, life for everyone will be better if we get full-on about water supply and our impact on the biosphere.

WHAT’S YOUR CALL TO ACTION?

Who among us will rise to the challenge? As the people in Israel, California, British Columbia and China are facing every day, we need to be proactive when it comes to water supply and safety. We need people like you to make a difference.

As conferences like WATEC and others are showing, thinking globally and acting locally is an important ingredient for getting full-on about local conservation. What call to action will get you moving? When will you commit to making a difference?

To find out more about Hong Kong’s Water Safety Plan, click: here
To find out more about WATEC and its presenters, click: here