CGF ARTICLES, OPINIONS & EDITORIALS

Counting each drop (2011-04-26)

February 19, 2015  3753  3753   

Let us take another example such as the famous Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, New York City, United States of America (US). The years of planning and the building of the Twin Towers in the 1960’s was obliterated within 56 minutes on the morning of September 2001.  Interestingly, whilst it took the US around eight months of an intensive clean-up campaign, it was a mere five years later that the first building of the new World Trade Center was opened, in May 2006.  Whilst this is a stark reminder that devastation will endure in the hearts and minds of millions of people across the world, what is important to note is the speed and action people of the US took to re-build not only their buildings, but also their national pride which was -- and continues to be -- symbolised within their democratic values, as well as within iconic features such as the Statue of Liberty, big brands such as McDonalds, and their world famous rivers such as the Colorado of some 2,333 km long.  Going by the example of the World Trade Center, one need not wonder what the people of the US would do if any of these features -- that sustain their sense of nationhood -- were to be threatened, lost or even destroyed.

Of all those things that ‘define’ and sustain human beings (whether in America or Africa), without doubt our most precious resource in the world is under threat.  Water - fresh water is increasingly being brought under the spotlight by international communities; such where the shortage of fresh water and sanitation issues have been the focus of intense debate.  It is ironic that a natural resource such as water -- which we take for granted -- may be the cause of future wars as countries fight for a depleting resource.  For this reason, water has been described as the ‘new oil’ and the potential for “water wars” has been flagged as a future risk¹.  Given the fact that the world considers problems with the quality (and access) to fresh water as a massive threat to the future sustainability of civil society, the question arises regarding why there is no haste (by governments and civil movements) to act severely against those who threaten our water quality and supply, and why a response is not executed with the same sense of urgency, such as was the case with the 9/11 disaster?  The stern warning from the UK Minister of State for International Development, Gareth Thomas, states that, "if we do not act, the reality is that water supplies may become the subject of international conflict in the years ahead" and this undoubtedly has a bearing on us all.