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From the Executive Director
<br />n a recent article entitled "The Unholy Triumvirate' from 1Nhnte Earth,'Editor Peter Warshall describes an
<br />interdependent relationship. of water, energy, and cash. Warshall explains that the intertwining of the
<br />world's water, energy, and cash operates on ahree basic rules: energy production requires water; water
<br />transportation requires energy; and, the human/energy/water relationship requires cash. Because the financial
<br />.community profits from selling more energy and more water, the impact on the natural system of water is bound..:
<br />to be destructive.
<br />As population grows and urbanization continues, the relationship of energy grid cash on water will be
<br />increasingly strained. Warshall concludes that-new ways must be designed and implemented to collect and recycle,,.,
<br />water. near the location it is used. Society's water use must change to ensure water's existence for the future =` `~` '
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<br />.The Freshwater Society supports and concurs with Warshall's point. The water distribution systems~arid tl]a„
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<br />wastewater coltectiori systems are the weakest links in our utility systems They leak,,overflow, plug up a~~a~, ~~,
<br />,backup, and tlisn>pt traffic and'use of the Iand while under repair The; current water utilities are co:,[ly, t4_ l~u1lit• ~ ~ , °~ $
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<br />rowing Threats to orl's ater e and New roac
<br />Freshwater is essential for human survival, for agriculture, and for the survival of our planet's plants and
<br />animals. But pollution, climate change, water-related disease, and the destruction of our natural world ail
<br />threaten the purity and availability of our most precious resource.. Despite the pressing nature of these threats,
<br />water institutions and policy makers have, so far, been largely unable to develop the tools and approaches
<br />needed to address these problems.
<br />The best way to solve emerging threats to the world's fresh water is by rethinking how the resource is used
<br />and managed, according to the Pacific Institute. Water efficiency must be improved. Instead of just building
<br />more dams and reservoirs, water use must change.
<br />Facts about emerging threats to the world's water:
<br />•An estimated 1.2 billion people do not have access to clean drinking water. Lack of clean drinking water
<br />leads to nearly 250 million cases of water-related disease each year and between five and ten million
<br />deaths
<br />•In the past century over half of all wetlands on the planet have been lost to development and conversion.
<br />Wetlands are important to the health of natural systems and people because they act as filters and flood
<br />buffers.
<br />•Water pollution is a serious threat to the world's water.. Microbes, salts, and pollution from agriculture and
<br />industry all contribute to the problem.
<br />•Global warning will likely have major impacts on the world's freshwater resources. Some areas will suffer
<br />more frequent and severe droughts, while other areas will face more frequent and severe floods.
<br />For more informafion please visit: www.pacinst.org
<br />FACETS Spring 2003
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