26

cenSEI
: . +
8KVUXZ
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
WORLD
The Worlds Water In Peril
Planet-wide efforts are underway to save this
precious resource
By Marishka Noelle M. Cabrera
WATER FOOTPRINT
Generally, water footprint is an
indicator of the amount of freshwater
use, whether directly or indirectly, of
a consumer or a producer, according
to The Water Footprint Assessment
Manual: Setting the Global Standard
by Prof. Arjen Y. Hoekstra of the
University of Twente, the Netherlands,
and colleagues, Ashok K. Chapagain,
Maite M. Aldaya and Mesfn M.
Mekonnen. Here are some everyday
items and their water footprints
Source: Waterfootprint.org and The Water Footprint of Food" by Professor Arjen Y. Hoekstra,
Twente Water Centre, University of Twente, the Netherlands
PREVIOUS PAGE NEXT PAGE
27
:NKcenSEI8KVUXZ - May 14-20, 2012
STRATEGY POINTS
Over a billion people all over the world lack access to clean water
The worIds water needs can be cIassied into food and agricuIture,
energy, industry, human settlements, and ecosystem requirements
Coherent policies, collaboration between the public and private
sector, and improving demand management can help close the
water gap
we unxIousIy wuIL Ior ruIn In
the sweltering heat of summer,
governments and organizations across
the globe are warning of impending
water shortages.
Around the world, water security is
threatened. In the Global Risks Report
2012 of the World Economic Forum,
water supply crises ranked 5th in terms
of likelihood, following severe income
dIspurILy, cIronIc hscuI ImbuIunces, rIsIng
greenhouse gas emissions, and cyber-
attacks. But in terms of impact, crisis in
the worlds water supply is second only to
mujor sysLemIc hscuI IuIIure.
However, LIe gIobuI hgIL Lo suve wuLer Is
only just beginning.
In the 2012 United Nations World Water
Report, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-
moon says, [P]ressures on freshwater
ure rIsIng - Irom LIe expundIng needs
of agriculture, food production and
energy consumption to pollution and the
weaknesses of water management. The
release of the United Nations World Water
Report coincides with the 6LI WorId WuLer
Forum held in Marseille, France this year.
TIe reporL ouLIInes hve mujor secLors In LIe
global demand for water:
ood und ugrIcuILure, uccounLIng Ior LIe
majority of water withdrawals globally
Energy, Ior wIIcI LIe quunLILIes oI wuLer
used are rarely reported and thus are not
widely known
ndusLry, wIIcI covers u broud runge
of income-generating activities with
equally broad impacts on both the quantity
and the quality of local water resources and
the environment
Humun seLLIemenLs, IncIudIng wuLer
for drinking and household uses such as
cooking, cleaning, hygiene, and sanitation
EcosysLems, wIose wuLer demunds ure
determined by the water requirements to
susLuIn or resLore LIe benehLs Ior peopIe
that societies want ecosystems to supply
Still, the seemingly abundant supply cannot
meet all of the demand. Over a billion
people all over the world have no access to
clean water, according to the publication
Water Rights and Wrongs of the United
Nations Development Programme based on
the United Nations Human Development
ReporL zoo6. OI LIIs sLuggerIng hgure, qo6
mIIIIon IIve In EusL AsIu und LIe PucIhc, zzq
million from Southeast Asia, 314 million
As
The worlds water in peril
PREVIOUS PAGE NEXT PAGE