The Economy of Drought
Global warming is estimated to gradually force over 135 million people off their land, largely in the developing world. But around the world, countries including Spain and the United States are experiencing drastic water shortages as a result of climate change right now. This global scarcity is prompting new ways of managing water as supplies dwindle.
According to the New York Times,most of southeast Spain is transforming into desert, a change driven by both global warming and poorly planned development. As the area dries, Spanish farmers and developers have been forced to desperate fighting over water allotments. This comes as no surprise to Spanish ecologists, who as early as 1997 predicted a “water war”.
And it's not just Spain. “Water will be the environmental issue this year- the problem is urgent and immediate,” said Barbara Helferrich, from the European Union’s Environment Directorate. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization meets in Rome this week to discuss the global food crisis, which is caused partly by water shortages around the world, including southern Spain.
Even in the U.S., cities like Los Angeles are being driven to desperate measures by persistent water shortages. Current plans in Los Angeles to deal with one of the most severe shortages in decades include using thoroughly cleaned sewage to increase drinking water supplies. Other water-short U.S. cities are discussing similar programs.
So what's the best way to conserve water?
The Earth Policy Institute suggests "a block rate pricing system where a low level of consumption—that required to satisfy basic needs—is very cheap, while prices increase at higher levels of consumption."
In Osaka, Japan, for instance, users pay a set monthly fee that includes 10 cubic meters of water; beyond that prices increase in steps from 82¢ per cubic meter up to $3 or more for high-volume users.
This sort of pricing would go a long way in Spain — or Los Angeles — by making excessive water usage prohibitively expensive, saving the water for those who really need it.
Delicious
Digg
StumbleUpon
Reddit
Facebook
Google
Yahoo
Printer-friendly version
Comments
Corruption is unlimited
An article in today's Times of India discussed how corruption is making water more expensive worldwide. According to the article, there are currently 1.2 billion people in the world without guaranteed access to water, and corruption amongst officials is making it harder and harder for the poor in developing countries to afford water. As the New York Times article about Spain above discussed, corruption in the water sector — whether it is in rich countries or poor countries — "puts the lives and livelihoods of billions of people at risk."
The cost of the Olympics
An article in the Wall Street Journal discusses how the preparations for the Olympic games is worsening Bejing's water crisis. Northern China is a naturally arid region, but rainfall in the past decade has been 28 percent below the historical average. Water is now being used much faster than it can be replenished throughout the entire region, leading to predictions of a crisis. A report by Probe International, a Canada-based environmental group, called for higher water tariffs, even though Bejing already has the highest water tariffs in the country.
As water supplies dwindle, politics increase
Water in the Israeli- Palestinian area is sparse and getting sparser, leading to political arguments over supplies. A BBC news article today discusses Israeli human rights group B'Tselem statement that the West Bank is facing grave water shortages largely because Israel's "discriminatory" policies.
The shortage will have serious repercussions on the economy and the health of tens of thousands of Palestinians.
As water supplies dwindle, political maneuvers have a new arsenal.
Washing cities clean
I find Spain's water shortage to be somewhat ironic. A few years back, I lived in Oviedo, the capital city in Northern Spain's Asturias region. Oviedo prides itself on being Spain's cleanest city, however to accomplish this, every night the entire city is sprayed down with pressure hoses.
I sincerely hope concern over water scarcity has led the local government take another look at their street-cleaning methods.
Climate change brings permanent drought and starvation
In an article by CNN, aid officials say climate change in West Timor has brought on a severe drought that has lasted for years. It's now nearly impossible for residents to live off the land like they have for generations, and as a result 90 percent of families no longer have enough food. Over 70 percent of children are suffering from severe malnutrition — a higher percentage than areas in Africa. The situation has gotten so bad, aid workers are now worrying that unless something drastic is done now, whole generations could be lost to acute and chronic malnutrition.
Water Crisis in West Bank Becoming Emergency
An article by IRIN this week discussed the continued gravity of the water shortage in the West Bank. The article quote the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), warning that the herders in the West Bank were now on the "brink of an emergency" and that a long term solution was needed, in addition to immediate assistance.
The political water battles have been exacerbated by three successive years of drought and frost.
For now, the ICRC is distributing water to over 50,000 people.
Post new comment