Respecting water

Singapore has set itself a daunting target – reduce its water consumption by 8%, from the current 141 litres per person per day to 130 litres per person per day by 2030. It does not take any targets lightly and for achieving this one, it is running a very aggressive campaign, urging and teaching its citizens to do daily chores using less water.  

In the campaign, Singapore has committed almost half a billion dollars to improving water technologies. It is urging people not to use a hose to wash the car, not to leave the tap running when washing dishes, not to keep the shower on while soaping up. It has a national master-plan focusing on four ”national taps”: catching rainfall in reservoirs, recycling water, desalinating water, and imports.  It has also invested heavily in underground drainage systems and dams. The tiny country now has 17 reservoirs that collect the rain that falls on two-thirds of its land area. It is testing smart water meters that use wireless technology and immediately detect excessive usage or leaks. It already has five wastewater recycling plants that now provide 40% of Singapore's water needs. And it is planning on doing so much more.

According to the U.S.-based World Resources Institute, Singapore is the fifth most likely country in the world to face extremely high water stress by 2040.

As per its ranking, countries in the Middle East face the maximum stress by 2030 – Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, San Marino (country near Italy), UAE, Palestine, Israel. It also found also found that Chile, Estonia, Namibia, and Botswana could face an especially significant increase in water stress by 2040. This means that businesses, farms, and communities in these countries in particular may be more vulnerable to scarcity than they are today.

And what are we in India planning to do about avoiding water stress? Does it even figure out in any political agenda?