Water Crisis

Ganesh recently sent me a very chilling presentation by Abdul Kalam -- Earth in 2070 -- on the devastating impact of water unavailability in 2070. It sounded a bit over the top, but the issue is very real, I believe.

Once we revert to some degree of normalcy after the credit and commodity crises, I think we will find ourselves concentrating on the frightening water crisis. Some regions will be impacted more than others, but the shrinkage of fresh water resources is a reality in most regions of the world.

I was reading recently reading a book on water scarcity (when Rivers Run Dry: When the Rivers Run Dry: Water--The Defining Crisis of the Twenty-First Century by Fred Pearce). Two points from the book stick out in my memory:

1. Water scarcity is a global phenomenon . Even a water-rich region like the U.S. is experiencing serious water resource shrinkage in some of its water lifelines. This may not be news for the residents of western states, but this is beginning to happen in other parts of the country as well.

2. Many of the products we consume use up an unbelievable volume of water. This measure -- water consumed per unit weight -- is called the virtual water measure. Here is a sample drawn from wikipedia:

Agricultural products

• the production of 1 kg wheat costs 1,300 L water
• the production of 1 kg broken ricecosts 3,400 L water
• the production of 1 kg eggs costs 3,300 L water
• the production of 1 kg beef costs 15,000 L water

Household Products

• Jeans (1000g) there is 10,850 liters of embedded water
• Diaper (75g) there is 810 liters of embedded water
• Bed Sheet (900g) there is 9,750 Liters of embedded water