Picture this: you wake up in the morning and rush to the bathroom to get ready. You brush your teeth, shower, use the toilet...right? Throughout the day, you will drink water, wash dishes, and maybe it's even laundry day. So what are we relying on for all of these actions? A steady availability of clean water. On a bare minimum scale, we require water to drink on a daily basis. But the scary and sad reality is that we don't have a universal supply to clean water.
It was estimated in 2019 by UNICEF that 1 in 3 individuals do not have access to safe, clean drinking water....I found this crazy to wrap my mind around. And while there are reports which claim that significant progress has been to provide clean and accessible water, there is still much work to do to ensure that each and every individual has access to safe, drinking water. But first, we will need to shift our perception that water is not to be taken for granted, it's a resource and it's precious.
So, what can we do on a global scale to create this change? We need to make federal policies internationally that will work towards providing universal access to safe drinking water. And what does that look like? It may look like creating more water-treating plants. These plants would allow for the safe removal of bacteria, and pathogens, allowing the water to be used safely. It may also look like pricing water more realistically. Although it may seem counter-intuitive putting a price on water, for example, for large corporations which consume mass amounts of water such as textile companies, may allow for them to be more mindful of their consumption, their waste and therefore lead to less wasteful usage.
Water is essential and we all need it. Let's take the steps as individuals, as a society, and as a globe to create universal access to a key component of life!
This is such a great post, Arshi! Wow, that 2019 Unicef statistic shocked me too - that is indeed hard to fathom! I really like how your intervention talked about individual and collective action. I agree that putting a price on water for corporations would be useful tactic. Of course, given that water is a basic human right, making water free for everyone up to a certain amount (e.g. 200 L/person/day, as Kai suggested today in class).
Loved your post! We do need international cooperation and a standard of policies across all countries (with considerations of their unique water issues, resources, and finances) to take steps towrads access to clean water everywhere for everyone.