WATER FOR LIFE

 WATER FOR LIFE

WATER FOR LIFE

Water means life. Paul Younger then examines the many different forms of life that are controlled by water. Aquatic life can of course be found in clean water. But life is rich like bedbugs, where most invertebrates live - and serves as food for fish and strange birds. Younger reminds us that "the abundance, diversity, and state of [aquatic life] are very good indicators of overall river health." Underground life is also known: invertebrates and microbes live in groundwater; and estuaries where surface and groundwater mix with seawater, especially otherwise. But the open ocean remains the largest source of biodiversity. As Paul Younger complains, aquatic life is constantly threatened by human actions, such as the depletion of water resources, the destruction of ecosystems, overfishing and climate change in anthropogenic species.
Water management is discussed at the end of the book. The use and treatment of water resources for human activities is rapidly diverse: in developing countries, agriculture is the main source, while much of the water consumption is devoted to industry and energy production in developed regions. Climatic conditions are also an important factor: water supply is a critical challenge for large cities in arid areas and many regions of the world are affected by droughts of varying intensity due to overpopulation, poor farming practices or local. reduction of precipitation. When the water disappeared, the concept of a "water footprint" emerged, reflecting the total amount of fresh water used to make the goods and services used. Young people experience large differences between countries, with an average of 7,790 liters per person per day in the US, as opposed to just 1,500 liters per person per day in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. These data are context dependent and should be interpreted with caution, but illustrate human impact on water resources.
Managing our water resources is becoming increasingly difficult, droughts and floods, the vulnerability of low-lying countries to rising sea levels and the decline in soil fertility that is coming with climate change and land use. The result is political tension over the proper distribution of water. In addition to the basic and generally accepted principle that everyone needs enough water for drinking and sanitation, Younger discusses how much personal water is an unrestricted right, who pays for water services and sanitation, and whether water and sanitation supplies should be national, private or semi-private.
Through the link between water and land use, water and carbon and water and energy, solutions for integrated land and water management will be developed and made more efficient. Paul Younger concluded that “21. century will be happier for people and ecosystems than the previous century ”- but only if water becomes a political priority. We have to expect that to happen.