Rooftop Salsa: Water Water Everywhere, Not a Drop to Drink

This Monday, March 22, marked the 17th anniversary of the annual World Water Day (WWD). Celebrated in countries across the world, WWD aims to draw attention to issues surrounding access to clean fresh water under the slogan "Clean Water for a Healthy World":

"Worldwide water quality is declining mainly due to human activities. Increasing population growth, rapid urbanization, discharge of new pathogens and new chemicals from industries and invasive species are key factors that contribute to the deterioration of water quality. In addition, climate change will further affect water quality. Major risks are the lack of water quality data and monitoring worldwide as well as lack of knowledge about the potential impact of natural and anthropogenic pollutants on the environment and on water quality. The lack of prioritization of water quality in many countries has resulted in decreased allocation of resources, weak institutions and lack of coordination in addressing water quality challenges."

There are significant steps we can take to increase the amounts of fresh water available to people across the world. Today, industrial agriculture is the number one source of water pollution. Soil runoff fills oceans, streams, and rivers with toxic chemicals and pesticides, clouding potential drinking water. If we can shift towards a system of hydroponic food production, soil runoff will no longer pollute our global water resources. Even better, hydroponic farming uses 80% less water than traditional soil-based farming which means countries like India--where water is extremely scarce--could reallocated vast quantities of water to people instead of pouring it into soil.

In countries where Poland Springs bottles and Britta filters fill our refrigerators, it's hard to imagine that people in other parts of the world have to walk sometimes half a day to a clean water source. WWD reminds us that the fight for access to clean drinking water is a daily struggle people all over the world.