What The Public Thinks.

No! We are not doing enough to conserve the world's water supply. While people are dying throughout the Third World due to lack of water, we in the West are using perfectly clean drinking water to flush our toilets. In the future water will become more valuable than oil. Peter, Toronto, Canada Water is scarce. There is already a war between the southern states in India. Conserve water; when there is rain, collect and save it. Prakash, Germany In poor countries underground water is the main source of drinking water. But in many cases underground water is used for cultivation. In a country like India there are many "unauthorized deep tube wells", used for cultivation. This makes the entire region water-scarce. Pollution is also an important reason. Pradip, Kolkata, India First of all, fresh water rights should be given to everyone. This lack of easy access to clean water is perhaps the greatest cause of death and hardship in our world today. Denial must be confronted. There are criminally wasteful water practices that are widely accepted today. A global crisis in clean water can be averted - simply instruct the political leadership on the value of conserving water, and respecting ordinary people. Marco, Boulder, USA Why don't the rich Arab countries try to help each other more? I saw some gorgeous green golf courses and green lawns during my years in the wealthy Gulf Arab states. Mind you it rains very little in these countries, so the water must be coming from somewhere. Why are the western countries always criticized for not doing more? Many billions of dollars live in the Middle East. Hold these countries more accountable. Karen, USA The main reason for water shortages in India is population growth. Ground water is now used at an alarming rate. Green cover has been reduced considerably, thus compounding the problem. Economic realities in the current environment hopefully would act as a disincentive for having larger families. A multi-faceted approach is necessary to solve this complex issue. Vinai, Toronto, Canada There are only two problems: too many human beings and too much waste of water - everywhere. Solve these basic problems and there will be no need for water to ever be scarce. Tony, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia No! With the trillions of dollars spent to kill people, we should really be looking at spending trillions of dollars to save people. The rich are too rich and the poor are too poor. This must change in order for humanity to prevail. Big Hill, Vancouver, Canada