The Value of Water
Going for Water by Robert Frost:
The well was dry beside the door,
And so we went with pail and can
Across the fields behind the house
To seek the brook if still it ran;
Why should we value water?
70 percent of the Earth is water. Of all the water on Earth, only 3% is suitable to supply the whole world’s drinking water, deliver food through fishing and crop irrigation, provide sanitation and health, generate power through dams, and is home to valuable biodiversity.
This includes our seas and lakes, rivers and streams, water is everywhere. Valuing water means valuing our future.
Water is essential for our economy. We rely on it for many important activities like manufacturing, energy production and to transport materials.
Water connects us. Water is a boat trip – a sailing course – a swim in the sea. Water brings families and friends together in many ways – on beaches, river walks, lake picnics etc.
Water is without doubt the most precious resource on Earth, but we often value and manage it extremely poorly. But also, water is more than a substance: it carries other values and meanings. These include spiritual, cultural and emotional and it can have influence in heritage of water language, norms and artefacts. Valuing water is a shared responsibility of us all. I hope to raise awareness on values of water and their importance among policy makers, industry and community leaders, journalists, writers, scientists, young professionals and teachers.