Global Usage of Water - Essay Example

Sustainable Living the Case Study of Water Table of Contents Introduction 2 Global usage of water 2 Sources of water 3 Ways of conserving water resources 3 Interview: Usage of water and implication on daily life 4 Media representation of water consumption 5 Social feasibility for usage of water 6 Anthropological approach to water usage 7 Value 7 Equity 8 Governance 9 Politics 9 Knowledge 10 Recommendations 11 Conclusion 11 References 13 Introduction Water is the basic support of life. It is vital for use in both plant and human bodies. The natural resource accounts for 71 percent of the earth’s cover (De, 2001). Human beings not only rely on water for biological support but for other necessary processes and functions such as transportation, cleaning and cooking (Pullinger et al, 2013). The fact that water is a universal solvent can never be overstressed. Human beings, therefore, require access to safe water for the support of these functions. According to De (2001), water is a resource that is being taken for granted. Over the years, individuals and industries have continually polluted water sources. The fact that water sources covers a vast area of earth’s surface has made many take it for granted. Majority of those who drain wastes into the sea assume that these wastes will just disappear due to the large area covered with these massive water bodies. What most of these individuals forget is the fact that the world water is in constant circulation through processes such as evaporation, condensation and transpiration (Franks, & Royal Society of Chemistry (Great Britain, 2000). These processes form the cyclic movement of water across the planet. Global usage of water Water has various different uses across the globe. The usage of water depends on its physical state and composition. Water in the arctic regions is used by the locals for ice-skating as the water is in solid form (ice) (Kakoyannis & Stankey, 2002). Oceanic water is used for transportation of goods and people across the globe as oceans connect the continents (Kakoyannis & Stankey, 2002). The oceanic water is also used by various companies in the production of salt due to the salinity levels (Strang, 2005). Individuals harvest salt from the concentrated ocean waters. The areas around the Japanese islands are rich in marine life, and people living in those areas engage in fishing (Strang, 2005). In many countries where large rivers are present, water is used in irrigation and in the production of hydro-electric power (Mitchell, 2002). An example is how water from the river Nile is used for irrigation in Egypt and in production of electricity at the Aswan High Dam (Mitchell, 2002). In some regions, water is used for sporting purposes such as water skiing, swimming and racing of speed boats (Kakoyannis & Stankey, 2002). The other uses of water such as cleaning, drinking and cooking are universal in all other parts of the globe. Sources of water The major sources of water include rivers, seas and oceans (Clarke, 1993). People collect water from these sources for various uses and applications aforementioned. Other sources of water include springs and boreholes (Clarke, 1993). Springs are available naturally, and people using machines drill boreholes in order to access underground water. Ways of conserving water resources The misuse of water since the 18th century necessitated the creation of measures to conserve water resources. During periods of Agrarian Revolution, a lot of water pollution was done (Clarke, 1993). Individuals misuse water and take it for granted due to its availability. What a majority of these individuals ignore, however, is the fact that continued misuse of water resources will lead to future crisis. Pollution, for instance due to industrialization, contaminates water (Dzurik, 2003). Spills on the ocean kill aquatic life and cause an imbalance in nature. Water resources such as rivers and lakes are continually drying up due to misuse of water resources (Dzurik, 2003). According to Dzurik (2003), water sources need to be conserved if harm is to be prevented. The primary measures of conservation include rehabilitation of polluted water sources, discontinuation of waste into water bodies, conservation of forests and water catchment areas. In a bid to protect these water sources, human action should be regulated as human activity is to blame for the current problems (Johnston, 2003). Interview: Usage of water and implication on daily life The researcher conducted a research in twenty randomly selected UK households to investigate aspects of their daily lives that had implication on water consumption. In carrying out the research, the researcher used questionnaires and conducted interviews to collect data. The findings of the research gave the researcher an understanding of the households’ needs, uses of water, and implications on consumption. From the research study on individuals in U.K households, the researcher found out that the daily aspects of the individuals affecting consumption of water include hygiene practices, laundry, gardening practices, kitchen practices and general household cleaning (Pullinger et al, 2013). Those were the standard household practices in relation to water. The researcher observed that the individual in the various houses regarded water as a basic life support agent. 99.9 percent of the survey population received mains water supply on a daily basis. The 0.1 percent informed the researcher that they used water stored in tanks when the mains supply had encountered problems. 75 percent of the population took full body wash on a daily basis mostly by showering in the morning. The remaining percentage preferred bathing up to four times in a week. 65 percent of the population that took daily showers preferred bathing to clean their bodies. This was mostly observed in women. The remaining population either took showers as a formality of to freshen up. 95 percent of the population agreed that washing of laundry was an important part of their lives. This aspect recorded homogeneous results with nearly all households having a washing machine and washing their clothes two to three times in a week. The remaining 5 percent of the population outsourced laundry services from drycleaners and other service providers. The interviewed population comprised of households with gardening space. 47 percent of the population used water in their gardens. These gardens were characterized by plantations of flowers for beauty purposes. The remaining population hardly participated in any gardening practices. Kitchen practices recorded the highest use of water. All households agreed that they use water in the kitchen. These individuals use water in cleaning of food before preparation, washing of dishes and cooking to mention but few. Water was also used for general household and vehicle cleaning. 90 percent of the population owned at least one car. These individuals washed their cars averagely three times a week. They also cleaned their houses two to three times a week and used water in the cleaning process. Media representation of water consumption The media play an important role in forming perceptions, expectations and beliefs in the minds of viewers and consumers of water. Based on this critical role, the media has taken several steps in influencing viewers on water consumption, usefulness and conservation. Campaigns by environmental activists and groups are displayed in the media on a frequent basis. These campaigns are aimed at urging individuals to conserve water sources and protect water catchment areas. The campaigns also urge users to use water sparingly and avoid wastage by ensuring all leaks in their offices or homes are sealed, re-use water where possible and avoid unnecessary waste. In the media, the views of influential environmentalist are also displayed. These individuals fight against industrial pollution of water bodies and destruction of water catchment areas such as forests. A perfect example is how the late Nobel laureate professor Wangari Maathai campaigned in all media, local and international on the need to conserve water sources and end pollution of water bodies (Maathai & Green Belt Movement (Society : Kenya, 2003). Social feasibility for usage of water Olove (2009) proposes that water has two main central features. These central features are connectivity and materiality. Connectivity is the tendency of water acting as a geographical landmark or boundary. Trough this feature, communities use water bodies as a way of marking boundaries. Large water bodies such as lake and seas have been used by humans for a long time as geographical boundaries. These water bodies also connect the said communities through transportation and trade. Certain water bodies have also been used to connect humans to the spiritual world. These sites are known to be sacred, and communities perform rituals at these water areas (Wilkonson, 1997). In this connectivity feature, water plays an important social role; connectivity. The second feature of water proposed by Olove (2009) is materiality. In this view, water is viewed as a material object through analyzing its physical and molecular properties. These properties determine the physical state of water as either solid, liquid or gas. The physical state of water greatly influences its usage in a social set up. Water in solid form is for instance used in sporting activities for skiing or in playing ice hockey. In a liquid state, individuals use water for diving, fishing or even swimming. All these social uses of water depend on the physical state of water at the time of usage. The two central features form what Hastrup (2009) calls a water world. In this case, the term water world is used by Hastrup in naming the totality of the connections that water may have in a given society. Anthropological approach to water usage The anthropological view on water by anthropologists is the view that water is not only a natural resource, but also as a substance connecting a number of realms in social life. In undertaking an anthropological approach to water usage, a scholar first traces the various forms of valuing water, examines the unequal distribution of water on the planet, explore the various institutions and rules governing the use of water. In an anthropological approach, water is viewed as a social fact as opposed to a purely biological one. The central themes in an anthropological approach include value, equity, governance, politics and knowledge. These five themes are important in establishing and explaining the relationship between water, water consumption, and water users in a consumer society building the anthropological view of water as a social fact. Value The value of water is derived from how aspects of nature (environment) and culture/society intersect with the water worlds. One way in which such value is derived in anthropological concept is by the value that individuals in a particular society place on water as a resource for productivity and well being (Olove, 2009). Water thus forms a part of an economic system on one hand and a part of a political system based on the connectivity that water accords human (social beings). It is important to note that the value of water can also be either negative or positive. Floods, soil erosion, and the risk of waterborne diseases is an example of how water can be of negative value to a society (Olove, 2009). Through anthropology, a person is able to consider and conclude how water, a substance containing particular physical and chemical properties, is used and understood differently in different cultures and societies. For instance, the connectivity of water and how the liquid is associated with life support sanitation, pleasure, production and ritualistic applications in other communities (Olove, 2009). Water is a substance which greatly engages the five senses in individuals as evidenced by social practices, products, and events of specific cultural value. Equity Equitable access of water among communities is needed at all times. The valuable substance has to be shared in equal and equitable proportions among individuals across all communities and inhabitants of the world. In a social context, equity is tied and linked to two other issues. These issues are justice, on one end, and political economy on the other end (Olove, 2009). A crucial concern to society is equity ion the access of safe and clean drinking water for people of all races, ages, classes, ethnicity and religion. All human beings need equal access to clean water regardless of the demographics. Competition among uses of water and influences in the economic sector is also crucial. Different countries rely on shared water bodies. With equity in access to the water resources, individuals in the different countries live in harmony. Chaos may arise in the event of foul play from one side. An example of such shared water is the river Nile. This river with its source at Lake Victoria in Uganda flows to the meridian sea in Egypt (Mitchell, 2002). It is among the longest rivers on the planet. Egypt relies greatly on the river for irrigation and production of electricity (Vidal et al, 2001). In the event that Uganda and other countries divert the natural course of the river through building dams and for irrigation purposes, then Egypt will suffer from reduced water (Mitchell, 2002). Equity comes into play by the sacrifice that these other countries take based on their climate to ensure that Egypt, a desert nation, benefits from the waters of the Nile. Governance Governance mainly covers organization and rules. Institution economics and economic sociology dictate the management and distribution of water. All human societies are characterized by leadership and governance by a sovereign body (Olove, 2009). The governance is responsible for managing the use and distribution of natural resources such as water. The scarcity of water worldwide promotes the development of a large scale water distribution system. With such a system in place, governance of distribution and consumption of water will be simplified. Olove (2009) believes that the usage of a natural resource with no close substitute such as water needs to be monitored and controlled if misuse of the resource is to be completely abolished. A governed water system has promising benefits for sociological, economic and anthropological perspective of water. Centralized governance and supply of water is particularly important during times of scarcity and crisis. Politics Politics is responsible for the discourse and conflict over control of water in civil societies. As illustrated by Ernst (2003), three concepts dominate the analytical discussion of water sustainability. These aspects are governance, justice and conservation. Governance is useful, but the prolonged association with the notion of management creates and prolongs conflicts on the agreement and goals of all parties. When individuals debate and have conflicts because of these goals and values, then they give room for the formation of political spheres (Ernst, 2003). The propensity of water to flow and the readiness in portability makes water a shared resource among communities. Therefore, organizations managing water operate within broad political and regulatory contexts. These public contexts draw their discourse from a variety of forms such as human rights and property laws. Political contestation over the distribution of water and construction of dams brings out the interacting forces with a particular clarity as they lead to water shifts between different groups of people (Ernst, 2003). A number of anthropologists are interested in assessing how different groups of people involve themselves in debates about the sustainability of water bodies. This consideration has led the anthropologists to examining strategies of achieving water sustainability. Knowledge Management of water, whether ancient or modern, is dependent on various kinds of knowledge. The high diversity in irrigation practices across the globe is evidence that knowledge is important in water management. In his debates, Needham (1971, documents Confucian and Taoist approaches to irrigation in Imperial China. Carney (2001), further shows that the rice plantation in the antebellum South flourished not only on the enslaved African labor, but also because of the knowledge the Africans possessed in water management in humid, lowland coastal environments. Gender difference accords individuals different knowledge on water usage. Water used in households by women requires a different set of knowledge from water used for agriculture in farms by men. For sustainability of water in societies, individuals apply necessary knowledge. Knowledge of water also enables individuals avoid natural catastrophic events resulting from water such as floods and landslides. In a social set up, knowledge is, therefore, an important aspect in defining the anthropological uses and consumption of water by individuals habiting the particular society. Recommendations Water being a scarce commodity needs to be used sparingly. The scarcity in this sense is not to mean little quantities of water are able, but denote the lack of a close substitute of the commodity water. This, therefore, means that if misused, humans stand to suffer, as there is no replacement for water. It is the role of every individual to conserve water bodies. Governments should initiate plantation of tree around water catchment areas (Nivola & Nivola, 2008). In addition, the governments should also start and fund campaigns that seek to rehabilitate polluted water sources. Strict regulations should be put in place to ensure water bodies are not polluted. In this regard, every country should monitor industrial processes and ensure that the factories do not drain their wastes into water bodies (Subba, 2011). Stiff penalties should be put in place regionally and globally to discourage the pollution of water bodies and destruction of water catchment areas (Seneviratne, 2007). Politics should be avoided when handling this sensitive resource (Taylor & Trentmann, 2011). In contrast, the governing bodies should adopt measures of equity and equality when handling allocation and usage of water and related constructions such as dams. Individual rights to water, therefore, should be issued with an obligation of individuals to use water prudently and consequently support water systems. Conclusion Water is an important resource for both life support and other daily uses. The molecular composition of water makes it a universal solvent and a very important one for that matter. Without water, life on earth would be unbearable. Despite the large composition of water on the planet, individuals need to take deliberate measures to protect and conserve water bodies. Clean drinking water should be made available to all humans without any form of discrimination. For this to happen, however, equitable usage of the fluid is necessary. Politics should not to be used to make water bodies create a divide among individuals but rather unite communities. Water is a both a valuable commodity and resource. This means that water has both economical and social importance to individuals. Different individuals across the globe use water for various reasons depending on the physical state of water. The fluid is thus not only consumed but also brings people together through such avenues as swimming and skiing. The media has an important role in portraying the usage of water, consumption and conservation measures. However, at the end of the day, it is the individual effort in consuming water equitably and preserving water sources that matters the most. References Carney, J. (2001). Black Rice: The African Origins of Rice Cultivation in the Americas. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Univ. Press Clarke, R. (1993). Water: The international crisis. London: Earthscan Publ. De, V. M. (2001). Water: The fate of our most precious resource. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin. Dzurik, A. A. (2003). Water resources planning. Lanham, Md. Rowman & Littlefield. Ernst H. (2003). Chesapeake Bay Blues: Science, Politics, and the Struggle to Save the Bay. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Franks, F., & Royal Society of Chemistry (Great Britain). (2000). Water: A matrix of life. Cambridge, U.K: Royal Society of Chemistry. Hastrup, K. (2009). The Question of Resilience: Social Responses to Climate Change. Copenhagen: R. Dan. Academy Sci. Lett. Johnston B.R. (2003). The political ecology of water: an introduction. Capital. Nat. 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