Water. The most vital liquid in our very existence. On Earth, 96.5% of the planet’s water is found in seas and oceans. There are small percentages found in groundwater, in glaciers and the ice caps of Antarctica and Greenland. Additional small fractions are found in other large water bodies. There is some in the form of vapor, clouds (formed of ice and liquid water suspended in air), and precipitation. A greater quantity of water is found in the earth’s interior. Basically, water is found everywhere. And now, it is in extreme peril of evaporating forever. World Water Day, celebrated every year, is when people come together to focus on the importance of water and the need to preserve it.
Water is an essential part of life
We’ve learned all about water during our school years. Water plays an important role in our health as well as the world economy. It is, quite literally, used in every aspect of life. When you look at it carefully you will see that –
Approximately 70% of the freshwater used by humans goes to agriculture. People fish in lakes, rivers, and seas which are major sources of food for many parts of the world. Seas, rivers, lakes, and canals are used for transportation of people as well as goods and other non-tangible commodities like oil and gas. Large quantities of water, ice, and steam are used for cooling and heating, in industry and homes.
Water is also an excellent solvent for a wide variety of chemical substances; as such it is widely used in industrial processes, and in cooking and washing. Water is also central to many sports and other forms of entertainment, such as swimming, pleasure boating, boat racing, surfing, sports fishing, and diving.
Why celebrate World Water Day?
As you can see, for all the above reasons, water is extremely important for the existence of mankind. Goa is a coastal state. There are two major rivers as well as numerous smaller water bodies in the state. However, given the amount of industrialization and pollution, none of these are safe anymore. Farming in Goa is in danger too as the water table is either drying up or getting polluted. People that have wells in their homes, now have to close those due to water pollution.
Even in the news, Goa and Karnataka are currently battling for control of the waters of the Mhadei river which will also impact both states in a big way no matter what the outcome is.
All the vital ecosystems in the world are completely damaged today. The quantity and the quality of water are dropping at an alarming rate. A news report from NDTV states that there are 2.1 billion people live without safe drinking water at home; affecting their health, education, and livelihoods.
For all these reasons and so much more, we need to start focusing better on how to preserve the water reserves that we have left.
World Water Day 2018
World Water Day is an annual event, celebrated on the 22nd of March. It is the day when all sorts of issues related to water are raised all over the world. The theme for World Water Day 2018 is ‘Nature for Water’ – exploring nature-based solutions to the water challenges we face in the 21st century.
A Navhind Times reporter spoke to a few experts and they had lots to say. You can read all about it here.
The UN General Assembly has decided to call attention to the all-important water crisis now. Gathering all the UN member states and agencies as well as other NGOs dedicated to environmental issues, there are now efforts being put in to address the problem. The promotion of conserving clean water has come into focus.
Therefore, using World Water Day as the benchmark, we all need to do something from our end and ensure that all the water in the world doesn’t disappear forever, turning the planet into a complete wasteland. Capetown, South Africa has most recently been in the news for this exact reason. Let us not have Goa and India go the same way.
Information credit – Navhind Times/ Wikipedia/ NDTV
ItsGoa/MAR/KDGP
