I still remember learning about the water cycle in elementary school, when we were told that water is recycled in nature and therefore life can be sustained for generations to come. Therefore to me, learning about the water crisis to me is both shocking and expected. It was shocking to fathom how humans can deplete a seemingly infinite resource. At the same time, when you think about the attitude of how western societies see nature as a resource-generating machine to be exploited, it makes sense that people will manage to squeeze every single drop of water out of the Earth. However, with our current system, some people can use as much water as they desire while others cannot fulfil their basic needs. I believe that water should a resource that everyone should have equal access to, and everyone should have the responsibility to protect the quantity and quality of it. Water has been an essential part of the origin of life billions of years ago, and humans as part of the life tree should sustain this legacy for other organisms to thrive.
I envision a world where everyone has access to clean drinking water, and everyone cherishes it like the most valuable thing on Earth because it is. Living in Canada, I am fortunate enough to be living in the most water-rich country. However, there are indigenous communities in this country that still don’t have access to clean drinking water. On the other hand, having experience working at the water conservation department at the City of Vancouver, I have witnessed a lot of Vancouverites’ attitudes towards using water. From complaining about not being able to wash their cars in the summer to lawyering up to sue the City and dispute their blatantly obvious water restriction violations (they were running water down the sidewalk in attempts to water the piece of grass on the boulevard across the sidewalk, at the wrong time of day). I hope people realize how precious yet important water is to our survival. Having seen places like Cape Town, where citizens have worked together to push back their Day Zero, I have faith that Vancouverites can learn to conserve water with more public awareness and education.
To ensure everyone has access to drinking water, there are a couple of things I think must be done. First, public awareness and education are important. Since most households can get clean drinking water by just turning on the tap in water-rich countries like Canada, most people are not aware of the water crisis. Just like Cape Town, I believe having awareness and a sense of urgency to the issue will make people change their behaviour. In addition, at a City level, water should be metered and charged by usage. When I first started working in the City of Vancouver, I was shocked to learn that most people are paying a flat rate for water in the city. Metering homes and businesses can not only incentivize the reduction of water usage but also make it easier to spot any leaks and water usage. It is sad to say but in reality, people are more likely to understand the value of something when it is equated to money/ capital. To ensure equity to water access within the city, the meter rate should be determined by factors like income level, and past usage, to avoid putting the water pricing burden on low-income groups.
Hi Meagan! I also remember learning about the water cycle in elementary school :) To be honest, I'm not shocked by the water crisis faced by the world, like you said, it was expect and I'm really concerned with how it will affect all of us. I love your vision and the interventions that you have stated! Thank you for sharing you personal experience of working at the City of Vancouver. I was aware that residents are charged a flat for water use, but agree that by implementing meters for homes, we can significantly reduce the overconsumption of water!
Hi Meagan! I was just as shocked as you are, in school they totally teach you that water is infite and it never runs out, the water cycle pictures we had to colour in literally were just arrows that pointed from the ocean back to the sky and back to the ocean as if it never gets used up! I think your suggestion of a water meter is a great way to ensure families and businesses are keeping their water usage in check :)
Hey Meagan! This is a good point, and also exposes the flaws in how we talk about water, and suggest it is this magical renewable resource that will self correct for usage, no matter how much. So much of the world's water supply is not accessible, is marine, or cannot be moved to where it is needed- leaving much, much less than most think is around for consumption. A great place to start would be improving widespread understanding of the water cycle!!
Hi Meagan, I have the same opinion as you. People should care and never overuse the resource that we have. Nothing is inexhaustible. If everyone can have enough fresh water to drink, the survival rate of people in undeveloped countries will significantly increase. We need to take action to let people know we need to save water from now on and reduce some unnecessary use of water to save our world.
Hi Meagan!
Thank you for your very thoughtful post! Appreciate you sharing your experiences working with the City of Vancouver. It is vital to have a grounded perspective like this in conservation discussions. I share your hope that we, as Vancouverites and global citizens, will have a greater sense of urgency to conserve water.
My question to you would be, if Vancouverites didn't have the conservation infrastructure we have but possessed the same consumption habits, would we be able to put off Day Zero like Cape Town did? Could we change our habits? I believe that people who live in lower-income countries are much more resourceful than many of us. They have to be to survive. Is there something we can learn about their consumption habits and apply in our own lives? What are the barriers to doing so in a more industrialized society?
Hey Meagan, this is such a long post, good job! I totally agree with what you’ve said, water is one of the most vital things to ensure survival but we assume it’s just freely available.
I agree with this fully! I think you've placed an interesting dichotomy with water availability in Vancouver and the general entitlement that it has caused as a result. We need to bring back awareness of the actual value of water and make sure that we treat it as something that we need to cherish and protect. Urgency is really needed and I think would help mobilize people in this pursuit.
Nice post!
I agree. Education and public awareness are so important. Creating a sense of urgency is the first stepping stone to actually implementing change.
The unfortunate reality of having to have a monetary value on something to incentive is sad but something that I believe is also the best hope we have to see change!
That sounds like such a cool work experience you had! I enjoyed reading about it.
When you mention that developed countries exploits water, I think that is a very important to understand. It feels unjust when countries that have people living in poverty and sacrificing their opportunities just so they can collect water, while we are able to waste as much water as we want with little consequence.