by Chris Webber

Created on: February 11, 2009

Six billion people live on this planet. Six billion living, breathing organisms with a daily water requirement in the region of 2 litres. In this respect, we are all truly equal. In the words of George Orwell, however, some are more equal than others, and never before has this been so true.

On the shores of the river Nile, nations go to arms over access to water; in the United Kingdom the average person uses over 150 litres a day [1]. In Africa, one might walk fifteen miles to fill a rusted bucket with a muddy-brown substance apparently called water; in western Europe, one walks fifteen feet to a tap and out flows crystal clear liquid.

The planet has enough water to supply trillions of people; we would run out of land to house them before we ran out of water to sustain them. The problem is twofold: firstly, it is a question of access; secondly, it is a question of distribution. In the west, a temperate climate and an abundance of material resources has made the problem of obtaining water a task so easy it is taken for granted. The problem of distribution, too, has been cracked. Pipelines flow from one town to another and shelves of bottles line every shop.

For many, however, this is far from the case. In the outback of Australia, in the deserts of Ethiopia, in the plains of the Sahara, people are struggling to obtain adequate supplies of water. The problem of access is far greater wells must be dug, pumps must be built, tanks must be filled. Distribution is an even greater challenge, as even when fresh water is found, people must travel to get it.

The question is, then, what can individuals do to combat this global threat? Are the efforts of individuals dwarfed by the heavyweights: governments, the United Nations, corporations?

Far from it. Water shortages affect every nation; it is a question of how much impact they have. Even if water is seemingly abundant, one should pause for thought. The United Kingdom, the fifth wealthiest nation in the world [2], has less water available per person than Nigeria [3]. The point is this: water availability is not something that affects "someone else". It is a very real challenge that faces us all.

Yet, despite this, it is the efforts of individuals that have the biggest impact. An individual can take a shower not a bath, saving 70 litres. If all of Europe does the same, a potential 50 million litres can be saved.

But this is a drop in the ocean, so to speak. The water crisis is not just about people saving the water they do have.

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