“Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink”

15 years ago Malcolm McDowell narrated the Award-winning documentary Blue Gold: World Water Wars. You can see the trailer here

I remembered the film when last week I saw this article about the water scarcity crisis in the Guardian and it brings the issue into sharp focus once again..

Whereas global warming makes us wonder ‘how’ we will live, water scarcity poses the question ‘IF’ we can live.

It’s a very serious problem, and we’re not talking about suffering the consequences in decades time, the crisis in question is happening right now and we have to act urgently.

In the past 30 years the water industry has been transformed. In this report from CIWEM (Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management) John McDonnell, former Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer explains: “Thirty years ago our water – something we all owned – was sold off. Privatisation has largely enriched private shareholders who have done little to invest in this essential public service.”

So what CAN we do about it?

Valuing and managing our water is both a responsibility and opportunity for us all.

When supporting businesses on their B Corp journey we help them better understand and improve their impact on the environment.

An important part of the environment section of the B Impact Assessment (BIA) assesses how a company monitors and manages its water usage, and asks what water conservation methods have been implemented at the company’s offices or facilities.

Opportunities for reducing water usage and conservation can include:

• Water conservation improvements such low-flow faucets, taps, toilets and urinals.

• Recycling and reusing waste water where possible.

• Adopting water-efficient practices such as fixing leaks, using water-saving appliances, and reducing outdoor water use.

• Consider using new technologies to improve water reduction processes in your products

• Protecting water resources, such as rivers, lakes, and aquifers, from pollution and degradation can help ensure the long-term availability of freshwater resources

You can find some helpful resources from Federation of Small Businesses here

Henk Ovink, a special envoy for international water affairs for the Netherlands, explains in the Guardian article: “If we are to have a hope of solving our climate crisis, our biodiversity crisis and other global challenges on food, energy and health, we need to radically change our approach in how we value and manage water. This is the best opportunity we have to put water at the centre of global action to ensure people, crops and the environment continue to have the water they need.”

Water is fundamental to our survival as a species. Let’s address the problem with the urgency it needs.

This is indeed Code Red for humanity.