Water it's one of the most important resources on earth. People, animals, plants we all need water to survive. Water is life.
But, unfortunately, water is a scarce good. And that's why, that since 1993 the United Nations created the World Water Day, to create awareness for this issue.
Every year, on March 22, people around the world come together to organize events and campaigns to raise money and, most importantly, awareness for this problem. The goal of this day is to inspire people to learn more about water-related issues and to take action to make a difference.
The United Nations chooses a different theme each year for World Water Day. This year is Water and Climate Change, and it is one of the most urgent subjects today.
According to the World Water Day website, "extreme weather events are making water more scarce, more unpredictable, more polluted or all three. Humans need water to survive, as do all the systems we rely on: sanitation, healthcare, education, business and industry. Action plans to tackle climate change need to be integrated across different sectors and coordinated across borders. And they must have one thing in common: safe and sustainable water management."
But how did we get to this point? What are the main issues that are contributing to water scarcity? We can tell you a few:
1 – Pollution
Pollution is the primary cause of water scarcity. Water is polluted when industrial wastes are deposited into water, thus making it unfit for human consumption. And, as we know, the fashion industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world, mainly because of the dyeing process. Fashion’s dyeing industry is exhausting one of our most crucial resources. 17 to 20% of all water pollution comes from textile dyeing treatments, The World Bank Groupcalculated
2 – Overuse of water
Water is overused. For example, agriculture uses 70% of the world’s accessible water, and 60% of this is wasted because of leaky irrigation systems, the cultivation of crops as well as inefficient application methods. All of this overuse and waste of water is drying our rivers. The fashion industry is also guilty of the alarming problem of water overuse. To dye 1 tonne of fabric, it is used 200 tonnes of water.
Besides this, cotton requires a tremendous amount of water to be produced. For example, to create one t-shirt 2,700 L of water are used, just for one t-shirt.
3 - Population Growth
The world population more than double in the last 50 years. This rapid growth, and the economic and industrial development, has transformed water ecosystems and resulted in a massive loss of biodiversity.
4 – Climate Change
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Water is where we most feel the effects of climate change. Access to drinking water is becoming less predictable in many places because of floods that destroy sanitation facilities and droughts that increase water scarcity.
5 – Conflict
Conflict is also one of the major causes of water scarcity. If there is some conflict over a particular area, it may be difficult or even impossible to access the water that is located there. In the worst-case scenario, people could end up dying if they try to access the water in these areas (due to violence).
But what can we do to help solve this world problem? We give you a few tips that you can do to help minimize minimize your impact:
1 – Education
One of the most important arms to help fight water scarcity it’s education. It’s essential to educate everyone on this problem: those who don’t deal with so they can help and those who do deal with, so they can prevent the problem from becoming even worse in the future.
2 – Recycle water
Yes, there are ways for you to recycle water. There are plenty of technologies that allow you to recycle rainwater and other water that you may be using in your home. Not only does this help to prevent scarcity, but it can also help you to save some money too.
3 - Support clean water initiatives
All over the world, you can find organizations that are trying to give clean water to communities and areas that don’t have access to it. Think about donating to these organizations, either with your time, skills or money.
Here’s a list of organizations that are doing an amazing job by helping to provide awareness and access do clean water:
At NÜWA we have a strong connection with water. The cotton used in an NÜWA garment comes from textile waste and not from cotton plantations which mean that we can save all the water needed for that process. Because we use recycled cotton, it is not necessary to dye our garments, avoiding one of the most polluting phases of the production process.
Besides this for every NÜWA piece of clothing you buy, a set contribution goes directly to our nonprofit partners, so that your purchase creates a tangible impact. We work cooperatively to boost incredible change in the world, as we’re partnering up with a NGO to empower African communities and provide them with clean water.
On World Water Day, and every other day, try to do one thing that can help to save water! Every drop counts! And never forget that WATER IS LIFE.
