 Posted 4/8/2009 12:47:23 PM
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A recent water forum in Turkey seems to suggest to the world that there is an international crisis for fresh water across the globe. Over a billion lack water clean water and 2.5 people lack water for basic sanitation. In a number of third world countries the World Bank has advised that countries privatize their water supply water. Yes, privatize water. No wonder in the recent Water forum the issue of water as a human right versus water as a commodity was hotly debated. In the UK the average person uses more than 50 litres of water a day flushing toilet (the average water usage is about 150 litres a day). The highest water use in the world is in the USA, at 600 litres per day. Consumption in third world countries averages about 20 litres per day. A mere 12 percent of the world’s population uses 85 percent of its water, and these 12 percent do not live in the Third World The Institute for Food and Development Policy, 2001 “Already, corporations own or operate water systems across the globe that bring in about $200 billion a year. Yet they serve only about 7 percent of the world’s population, leaving a potentially vast market untapped.” New York Times, August 26, 2002) In the Caribbean we are somewhat fortunate that we do not to have the grapple with archaic agreement such as what exist among the Nile-dependent countries. Countries being limited to the amount of water they can harvest from the source- The Nile. However, we still have a challenge with the utilization of water especially as we aggressively move on with our development objectives. The question for us in the Caribbean as we look and learn from less unfortunate brothers and sisters in other countries, can we continue with our present rate of utilization of water. Can we perhaps do more harvesting of rainfall as the people of the Grenadines have been doing for decades? As we become better off, we find the need to constantly clearing more trees and vegetation for vanity. If you run out of water, you run out of life. Are we in danger of running out of life in the Caribbean?
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Posted 4/10/2009 12:28:48 PM
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There are parts of the caribbean that stil does not use/have a water system in place. They are totally dependent on rainfall or a local well to support their basic needs. To your question will we run out of water, I would say as our population continues to grow and our demand increases we will need a more robust system, but I honestly cannot see the caribbean running out of water. I can see an increae in water bills, beacuse of pollution, and growing population.
Blessup
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Posted 5/7/2009 11:31:22 PM
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| I am not sure if I can give a definitive answer on whether the Caribbean will run out of water and by extension run out of life. What I can say though, is that continuous deforestation in the Caribbean region has, and will continue to impact on rainfall levels and the overall water levels in our streams and rivers. The evidence of deforestation in many Caribbean countries are apparent after heavy rains by the muddied rivers and streams, landslides and flooding and these are enough to have us take note of the impending dangers of our actions. In addition, we are aware of the low water pressure delivered to our households, during the dry season when rainfall is scarce. Deforestation directly affects the water cycle and the resulting droughts and even the creation of deserts in many countries across the globe provide us with worthwhile examples of the importance of preserving our environment. For the Caribbean to maintain current water levels it is imperitive not only to implement but to enforce relevant environmental policies which are geared at protecting our forests and ensuring pollution free water supplies. Implementation of policy is good but that must be followed by enforcement.
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