Water covers more than 70% of the Earth’s surface. It was with water that life on Earth started, so it is not surprising that all living things on our blue planet need water. Clean water is, in fact, many things: it is a vital need, a home, a local and global resource, a transport corridor and a climate regulator. 

And, over the last two centuries, it has become the end of the journey for many pollutants released to nature and a newly discovered mine rich in minerals to be exploited. To continue enjoying the benefits of clean water and healthy oceans and rivers, we need to fundamentally change the way we use and treat clean water.

Water is home to millions of species, ranging from the tiniest organisms measured in microns to blue whales up to 30 metres long and weighing up to 200 tonnes. Every year, new species are discovered in the depths of the oceans. The oceans and seas also play a key role in the global climate: they are the largest carbon sink and capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Ocean currents help warm and cool different regions, making them more inhabitable. Evaporation from warm seas can fall as rain or snow across the globe, sustaining life on land.

Water is also a means to connect and move people and goods. It offers a natural transport network around the globe, connecting not only coastal cities but also inland cities along navigable rivers, enabling global trade. Our t-shirts, coffee beans or laptops produced in the Americas, Africa or Asia might be transported to Europe by ships. In other words, water is present in every aspect of our lives.

Unfortunately, the way we use and treat this precious resource not only impacts our health, it also impacts all life that depends on water. Pollution, over-exploitation, physical alterations to water habitats and climate change continue to undermine the quality and the availability of water.

Source:  www.openaccessgovernment.org