Nature provides many resources and services for human beings. Air, Water and Land are the three most common. Air is generally better understood as it is seen everyday and pollution in cities have a direct effect on the people living there.

Water is under appreciated. Water is a major source of wealth to human kind. We, as a species, have had a great history with water. Agriculture is made possible due to the abundant use of water. Great cities have been built around the world on the banks of rivers. These are the prominent ones. There are others which are “behind the scene” like wetlands.

The World Wild Life fund recently suggested that the annual global value of wetlands stood at $70 billion through functions such as flood control, recreational fishing, amenity and recreation and water filtration.

For example, look at this graphic from Rich Countries, Poor Water from WWF.

In Adelaide, Australia (where I live) new Level 3 Water Restrictions are in place from Jan 1st of this year to combat the low water availability in the state. This is true to most of Australia.

These type of restrictions rock the daily life of people and decrease the quality of living standards.

Coming from India with a much larger population than Australia I was surprised to see the water restrictions which started in 2006 across Australia. Yes, Australia is the driest continent on Earth, but still it does not answer why it cannot provide water to its 20 million residents. Adelaide has a small population of 1 million.

A report in August, 2006 by WWF on Water and Developed Countries highlights the issue in developed countries across the world.

Water crises, long seen as a problem of only the poorest, are increasingly affecting some of the world’s wealthiest nations, warns WWF. The report shows that a combination of climate change and drought and loss of wetlands that store water, along with poorly thought out water infrastructure and resource mismanagement, is making this crisis truly global. The report highlights impacts of water problems in countries such as Australia, Spain, Japan, and the UK, and the US.

“The crisis in rich nations is proof that wealth and infrastructure are no insurance against scarcity, pollution, climate change and drought,” adds Pittock. “They are clearly no substitute for protecting rivers and wetlands, and restoring floodplain areas.”

As the report suggets, it does seem likely that a major part of the problem is bad management of natural resources and lack of planning.

Water for Adelaide and a large part of Australian population comes from the Murray-Darling river basin.

It’s what the Nile is to ancient Egypt, the Tigris and Euphrates is to the Babylonians. This is where the Australians first learned to till and irrigate the land and where Sheep were first grazed.

A vast expanse of plains and mountains stretching for 3,000km from the river’s source high upon the highlands of NSW and into south Queensland, to its mouth in South Australia it drains the continent of excess rain water.

Along the river’s banks two thirds of Australia’s crops are grown. The vast plains that are irrigated by its muddy waters produce most of Australia’s fruit and vegetables, much of its maize and even some of its rice.

For more than 200 days of the year this once mighty river no longer makes it to the sea.
It’s like the Rhine petering out in central Germany, or the Nile drying up in northern Sudan.

Why? In large part humans are to blame, in particular Australia’s governments, who have long believed nature should be bent to man’s will. The river has been overused and abused. Dozens of dams block its flow, drawing off huge quantities of water to grow cotton in the desert. Cotton not for home industries, but for export raw, to flood saturated markets, a business no one profits from.

Governments have huge responsibility and power in the management of water resources. People and businesses, need and depend on water for their ability to survive and thrive in this world.

Joel Makower writes about the increasing concern for business on water scarcity.

The connections between the business world and the world’s water supply have gained increased attention lately…The world’s freshwater supply is at risk and the question is when and where, not whether, there will be major droughts or shortages that could have a major disruptive effect on business and society.

In the business world, companies in both developed and developing countries should expect to find water issues rising to the level of awareness that energy conservation and efficiency has seen in recent years. Business needs reliable water supplies to manufacture products and deliver services to its customers. It also needs safe sanitation systems to protect the health of its employees and to treat and recycle used water. Without these things, few companies can operate.

A UNEP Finance Initiate called water “an emerging risk of strategic importance to businesses and their financial backers around the world.”

From Chip manufactures to Cola makers every company across the world needs to look at the way water is being used in their operations and the best way to develop a sustainable cycle of water use.

Success depends on it.