Journal 46

While there are a plethora of things that can be done to protect water and conserve it in the first world, there are a limited means of extricating water and turning it into a sustainable resource for developing countries. And for some developing countries, keeping the water they have with the least bit of waste is almost a as difficult as the actual collection of it in others. For example, in India, water is not a source in serious concern of deminishing. Yet the UN has shown that 25% of the worlds use of water comes from India and most of that is wasted because of poor containment units and leaky piping systems. So much so that there are still States in this quickly developing country that have issues of water and drought.

But there are things that can be effective in make positive changes to developing countries. These are water harvesting, water desalinization, water regulations, proper policy making, and water workshops that train on water use and recycling. These are cost effective means of helping LDCs and LLDCs in combating water consumption issues. In the case of India and water harvesting, there is a yearly competition with prizes of 2,000,00 for the top water saving group and 1,000,000 for individuals.

Possibly the most effective means of water conservation and consumption though, and I cringe to say this, is for the intervention of corporations that invest in large tracks of land and then incentivize local farmers by creating local/community management councils that set policies which, if goals are met, re-imburse local communities financially, thus preserving the endemic ecology and incentivizing positive water standards. This has even been done, in France, by Perrier Vittel a division of Nestle S.A., the world’s largest food company. Perrier Vittel is also the largest bottled water company in the world.