We are used to reading fluid and fluctuating news on water. We may have too much or too little rain, crops desiccate or they rot, or we hear about severe drought, or floods leading to widespread famine, displacement or economic damage. Everybody wants water when it is scarce (but they usually don’t pay more in times of scarcity) and the costs of protecting citizens against its adverse effects are externalised to the public purse. With year to year, or even week to week, fluctuations in the status of such a precious natural resource, what would be the perfect place for water within a Green Economy? How could we know when we have reached an optimal and sustainable management of our available water? With so many environmental and social externalities associated with every drop of water, how much should water cost the user?
By Guest Author - Rachel Brown - WWF UK – January, 2012
As indicated by the Rio 2012 submissions, there is wide agreement among governments and civil society alike that we must learn how to measure what matters. Only then can we shape policies that accommodate the people and the planet. But where do we start? And how do we comprehensively assess the impact of policies on the environment?
The importance of mangroves in mitigating the adverse effects of climate change in the Oceania region cannot be overestimated, but they are under threat from coastal development, population dynamics and increasing demand for resources. It is anticipated that sea-level rise and flooding resulting from climate change will make things worse for vulnerable coastal areas and communities.
Biomimicry is inspiring a sustainable design revolution to address some of the more serious challenges we face today, including learning how creatures in arid ecosystems efficiently collect and distribute water from dew and rain.
Xeros have developed a new washing machine which cleans clothes with beads and a tiny amount of water. The net saving in water, detergent and electricity could result in a 30% cost saving for the user. The water-less process uses 3mm-long nylon beads that get into all the crevices of clothing and can also be re-used hundreds of times.
The Waza Logone floodplain in Cameroon represents a critical area of biodiversity and high productivity in a dry area where rainfall is uncertain and livelihoods are insecure. Natural goods and services from the floodplain provide a basic income and subsistence for about 125,000 people (85% of the population).
The Working for Water programme of the South African Department of Water and Environmental Affairs has cleared more than one million hectares of invasive alien plants providing jobs and training for about 30,000 people per annum, of whom 52% are women. South Africa is a water scarce country and invasive plants pose a direct threat to biological diversity and water security.
The Aakash Ganga (River from the Sky) initiative was developed to alleviate the perennial scarcity of drinking water, by harvesting domestic rainwater. The project channels rooftop rainwater from every house in a village, through gutters and pipes, to a network of multi-tier underground reservoirs.
An American company, Green Planet, has launched a new water brand in a 100% plant-based bottle that is toxin-free and carbon neutral, compared to popular plastic bottles containing petroleum and BPA. They are also reusable, recyclable and compostable in 80 days. For every 72 plant-based bottles produced, they save one gallon of oil. The bottles also use 65% less energy and fuel to produce.
