Every Drop Counts
Water has been an essential commodity for as long as humanity has existed. So critical is water to all life that wars have been fought over its supply for millennia. And yet, much of the world still takes water for granted, even in the face of a global warming crisis.
"I dug this well by hand more than 30 years ago," Momus, an inhabitant of the tiny Indian Ocean island of Rodrigues, explained as he lowered a bucket deep within. "I still need to use it every day." Despite being contaminated due to its proximity to seawater, the water from his well remains crucial to his household.
Momus isn't alone in labouring for the water his family relies on. Across the globe, many communities struggle daily to secure the water they need, with people often walking for hours in search of enough to fill a single bucket. Meanwhile, in urban areas, water has flowed freely from taps and fountains for so long that its true value has been forgotten—until the day the tap runs dry, and its worth finally becomes clear.
In truth, water isn't inherently scarce, but it is poorly managed. Our inability to capture and distribute water efficiently is leading some societies to the brink of disaster. And yet, we continue to abuse this precious resource without a second thought. People water their gardens during drought season and are surprised when supplies run short. Communities replace the natural floodplains of open countryside with ever-expanding cities of impermeable concrete and are dismayed when flash floods turn their streets into deadly rapids.
But, to sustain our future, we must learn from the example of people like Momus and take personal responsibility to maintain this shared water supply that literally sustains life. Change begins with the individual. From collecting rainwater and conserving water in our homes to advocating for better management of our shared supplies, we must all do more—every drop counts.
The question is no longer whether we can afford to act but whether we can afford not to.
