Water is our life

In only a few weeks the spotlight will shine on Copenhagen as 192 countries wrestle to find a lasting solution to the impending dilemma called climate change. Buzz words such as carbon footprint, toxic emissions and energy sustainability will take centre stage in a drama we have yet to fully comprehend as it slowly unfolds upon this lonely planet. I keenly await the upcoming debate hoping that one central theme is not relegated in the impending Babel. This is the issue of water sustainability.

Water crisis is not a new term. Water availability has been man's top preoccupation from day one. The earth has a finite supply of fresh water stored in aquifers, surface water and the atmosphere. Many make the cardinal mistake of believing that oceans are an available water supply. In reality, it is less than three per cent of all the world's water that is clean and readily available to drink. The world's population (almost seven billion and counting) is dependant mainly, but not solely, on a mere 260 different river systems that, incidentally, know no national borders.

Water security and food security are inextricably linked. It is estimated that 35 per cent of human water use is unsustainable, drawing on diminishing aquifers and reducing the flows of major rivers. This percentage is likely to increase if climate change worsens, populations increase, aquifers become progressively depleted and supplies become polluted and unsanitary.

The facts make incredible reading. From 1961 to 2001 water demand doubled, agricultural use increased by 75 per cent, industrial use by more than 200 per cent and domestic use by 400 per cent. Humans use 40 per cent to 50 per cent of the globally available freshwater in the approximate proportion of 70 per cent for agriculture, 22 per cent for industry and the rest for domestic purposes. To boot, these volumes are increasing annually.

Ironically, 884 million people have inadequate access to safe drinking water. A United Nations report confirms that unsanitary water conditions kill 3,900 children per day (diarrhoea.) Who would have thought that, in a country such as the Sudan, 12.3 million people have access only to contaminated water? Water seems to be also the subject of much political wrangling and conflict.

Some basic facts about how we consume water with gay abandon make one shudder. Did you know how much water is consumed to produce the following? Take a look.

Tea (cup) - 27 litres.
Beer (glass) - 138 litres.
Coffee (cup) - 112 litres.
Wine (glass) - 223 litres.

This is just a mere example. Consider that to raise a cow consumes 19,000 litres of water, a score of eggs consumes 2,204 litres and it takes 11,000 litres of water to produce a slab of chocolate. Don't forget that one of your t-shirts consumed 2,000 litres of water to make. Disquieting, to say the least!

Don't be fooled that this is not our problem too. Malta's water consumption and footprint make equally grim reading. For a nation that for centuries has prided itself on conserving every drop of water, today's situation has very much changed. One can easily confirm this when considering the omnipresent well in every old house and the hundreds of cisterns and wells that dot our country side. Unfortunately, this seems to be a thing of the past.

Our annual consumption of water has steadily increased over the years. Alas, the majority of the aquifers are being over-extracted with extraction figures perilously above the mean annual recharge. It is estimated that in 2007, 19.5 million cubic metres of water were extracted from privately-owned boreholes (reported figures). The Water Services Corporation extracted a further 14 million cubic metres from its aquifers. Regrettably, it is estimated that only 23 million cubic metres are collected from rainfall every year. This is clearly unsustainable.

A report carried out by Carmen Delia for FAO in 2004 regarding water consumption, sustainability and its economic implications for Malta continues to clarify the picture.

Obviously, we are completely dependent on our desalination plants to cover the huge gap between consumption and our actual reserve of water. More so, our water is heavily subsidised. The price of a unit of water covers a fraction of the real cost both economically and environmentally. Way back in 2000, a unit of water cost us €1.28. I shudder to think what it costs us today with the spiralling cost of oil. Commercial entities subsidise a part of the domestic user's cost but this is a far cry from a balanced costing.

Leakages also play a significant role. Ms Delia estimated a loss of at least seven million cubic metres a year. Furthermore, it was estimated that to produce one metre cube of water by reverse osmosis consumes 7.05 kWH of electricity. This is a significant amount contributing to economic strains on the utility and more emissions. The problem is apparently complex.

The pricing of water has always been a sensitive political and social issue, hence, solutions are hard to come by. More efficiency and a judicious use of this priceless resource are apparently the immediate actions available.

Water will always be an ever present challenge especially for Malta. Much investment has been made in upgrading the infrastructure, yet, much more is needed in terms of legislation and awareness about the real cost of our water and its use. It is only in this way that we may continue to enjoy this precious resource.

info@carolinegalea.com