Grants Pass, OR (PRWEB) August 06, 2013
People who live where fresh, clean water is reliably and inexpensively obtained merely by turning a knob, are extremely fortunate. According to water and health research Sharon Kleyne, fresh water should never be taken for granted because even the fortunate few may eventually be impacted by water shortages and drought. Places like Alabama and Georgia, says Kleyne, are experiencing unprecedented fresh water shortages that are predicted to get worse.
Sharon Kleyne is Founder of Bio-Logic Aqua Research, a water and health research and product development center that developed and markets the all-water personal humidifying product Natures Tears® EyeMist®. Because of her interest in water education, Kleyne hosts the globally syndicated Sharon Kleyne Hour Power of Water® radio show on VoiceAmerica and Apple iTunes.
Kleyne points out that life on Earth could not exist without water and that water is fundamental to the survival and health of every living organism. Fresh water is required by humans for drinking, sanitation and agriculture. The availability of water, and the infrastructure to move water to where it is needed, may be the most important factors enabling economic development.
Worldwide, according to Kleyne, 1.8 billion people lack reliable access to water that is both abundant and safe. Five thousand of the world’s children die each day from water related illnesses resulting from too little or unsanitary water. In much of the world, the availability of water to simply wash one’s hands is considered a luxury. Scientists project that by 2030, 40% of the world’s population will not have enough fresh water.
Increasing global water shortages, says Kleyne, result from rapid population growth and widespread drought, possibly as a result of climate change. Air pollution could ultimately affect the hydrological cycle and rainfall amounts. Areas experiencing the greatest water shortages are the Middle East, where 5% of the world’s population controls only 1% of the water, Northern and Eastern Africa, Central Asia and China.
According to Kleyne, the recent Syrian uprising began with protests over an increase in the price of water. Researchers have determined that between 1950 and 2001, there were 1,850 conflicts involving “trans-boundary” water; i.e. lakes and rivers in two or more countries. For example, the Brahmaputra, a major river in India, begins in China, which is contemplating damming their portion for use in agriculture and hydro-power.
Growing water shortages in the US, Kleyne warns, could soon affect the average consumer. California imports much of its water and experiences frequent political conflicts over how to divide the water between the rapidly growing cities and the immense agricultural economy. The state of Colorado, where rivers begin that provide water for a large portion of the United States, is facing its own water shortages and may soon decide to cut back on the water allowed to leave the state via the Colorado, Arkansas and Platte rivers. Colorado river water is partly responsible for the rapid growth of cities such as Phoenix and Las Vegas,
The good news, according to Kleyne, is that many of these problems are solvable. The tiny nation of Singapore, despite a large population, has achieved virtual water independence through a combination of conservation, catchment, recycling and desalinization. Emulating Singapore, Kleyne warns, requires a concerted national effort and commitment, which are not possible until citizens acknowledge that there is a problem and that water should be their top priority.