When we speak of sustainable development, the talk will always turn to water; have you ever wondered why?
The answer is pretty simple; humanity needs water! Water resources, and the diverse services they provide, underpin economic growth, poverty reduction, and environmental sustainability.
Why is Water at the Core of Sustainable Development?
Water is a fundamental that affects the livelihoods of billions of individuals across the globe, because water contributes to improvements in social well-being and inclusive growth and is vital to human and environmental health and food and energy security.
Water is Health
Water is vital to human health; the adult human body is made up of around 60%-70% water, and as we lose water constantly through sweating, urination and other means, we constantly need to replace what we have lost. It is therefore crucial that every single individual has adequate access to potable water for use as drinking water, basic hygiene needs, and basic food hygiene.
Water is Nature
At the heart of the global water cycle lies ecosystems, which include forests, wetlands and grasslands upon which all freshwater supplies ultimately depend. We need more environmentally sustainable economic policies that can maintain a beneficial mix between natural and man-made infrastructure and the provision of their various services.
Water is Urbanisation
The world’s cities are growing at an exceptional rate, with approximately 50% of the people on earth now living in a city, with approximately 93% of urbanisation taking place in poor or developing countries, where individuals move to the city in search of a better life. Unfortunately, due to this fact, approximately 40% of this urban expansion is growing slums. This is creating havoc with antiquated water infrastructure systems which must be updated and improved on urgently to cope with the influx.
Water is Industry
No industry can survive without water; it takes more water to manufacture a car than to fill a swimming pool; it takes 10 litres of water to make one sheet of paper and 91 litres to make 500 grams of plastic. While industrialisation is necessary and can create many job opportunities, sadly water efficiency and conservation is not a priority of the industry.
Water is also vital to energy, which is needed for just about everything; it is crucial to food production, and to gender equality as well , so now we know why water is the main focus for developing sustainable development worldwide.
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