Water Tops Climate Change as Global Priority – according to survey

Less than 1% of surface water is useable water in rivers, lakes and ponds; less than 3% is in glaciers and polar ice caps, which means around 97% of the world’s water is in the sea, is salty and unusable. Over 65% of the cells in our bodies is water, which means we just cannot live without water; no wonder water is such a precious resource. In fact, the UN estimated that by 2025, 50% of the world will be facing a water crisis. Yet many of us seem to take water availability for granted and waste vast amounts of it while we go about our daily lives, or do we really take water for granted?

According to a comprehensive survey by Circle of Blue | GlobeScan international on public opinion and attitudes about fresh water sustainability, management and conservation, people around the world view water issues as the planet’s top environmental problem, greater than air pollution, depletion of natural resources, loss of habitat and even climate change. The poll surveyed 1,000 people in each of 15 countries, and probed 500 in each of the following countries on specific questions: Canada, China, India, Mexico, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

In response to the survey data and to gauge the reality of the opinion, Circle of Blue commissioned some of the world’s best photojournalists from Contact Press Images and Getty Images to report in pictures and words various facets of the conclusions in seven countries.

More than 90% of those polled expressed a conviction that access to clean, fresh water is fundamental, not only for themselves but for all people. Across the globe, respondents to the survey also said education was essential to help people understand the dimensions and the urgency of the crisis.

The results of the survey showed that in the UK, the depletion of natural resources is considered the most serious environmental problem. Water issues are also regarded as serious issues by Britons, particularly the lack of safe drinking water. The citizens of the U.K. are split on feeling empowered -  half agree that water problems are too large for individuals to help with, while the other half disagrees. Britons hold the government the most responsible for ensuring clean community water supply. Large companies are held less responsible, though 77% agree that help from companies is needed to solve drinking water problems.

The results were released on 18^th August 2009 and can be viewed here, by following this link. Just click on the link on the left for the survey result with comments for each country, or the link on the right for the slide show.

Here at CABI we take water issues very seriously and for that reason the water coverage of the database was increased substantially in 2003. We already covered all aspects of water use, pollution of freshwater and water/wastewater treatment in relation to agriculture; all aspects of hydrology, water supply and management; irrigation and drainage; as well as soil-water and plant-water interaction and freshwater ecology. With the expansion of coverage, we now cover all industrial wastewater and sewage treatment, disposal and reuse; pollution of all surface and groundwater; desalination; all aspects of water policy and legislation, security, among others.

As I mentioned water security above, I thought of food (maybe because I'm hungry right now) and of food security, which is something else we can’t live without and which is the subject of CABI’s Global Summit, ‘Food Security in a Climate of Change’. The summit will take place in London, at the Royal Garden Hotel, from 19 to 21 October 2009. Follow this link for further details and to enrol. World leaders on the subject will be speaking at this international conference, so worth plugging here.