The threat of global warming is a threat to water

Rising temperatures impact water cycles, increasing the intensity of rainfall and the severity of drought.

By Chetan Mistry

Data published by UNICEF reveals the close relationship between water and natural disasters ̶ 74% of natural disasters between 2001 and 2018 have resulted from floods, storms, heatwaves, droughts and other weather-related events.

The situation appears to have deteriorated even further during the past two years. The US has recorded the most named tropical storms in one season and the most storms that made landfall. South Africa’s neighbour, Mozambique, now frequently experiences heavy tropical storms, some even reaching down the coast to KwaZulu-Natal.

Preparing for climate change

Water is a major part of preparing for climate change. The impact of changing weather patterns ultimately affects the distribution and availability of water. Climate change is an opportunity for us to revisit how we use water and improve the processes, infrastructure and attitudes that determine our relationship with water.

Better water management will help protect communities from the worst of climate change and help reduce and even reverse the phenomenon.

To encourage the relationship between water and a better climate, there are several ways different people can help: • Reduce non-revenue water – Nonrevenue water erodes income through leaks, poor metering and water theft.

Modern technologies can help discover leaks, improve metering and limit unauthorised use. • Invest in water monitoring – Though we scrutinise energy bills and count every watt of usage, we are often less picky about water consumption. This creates big inefficiencies that leave money on the table for companies, individuals and municipalities. Digital technologies greatly enhance our ability to track every drop. • Educate on water use – Educating water consumers on better practices, including water recycling, can make a huge difference. • Invest in better irrigation – Agriculture is crucial for national resilience, and less water means more expensive yet less food on our tables. Most irrigation techniques can waste as much as half of the water they use. Deploying better techniques, such as drip irrigation and recycling wastewater for irrigation, is already improving water resilience in drier countries. • Deploy greener sanitation systems –

Sanitation often uses chemical agents that can contaminate local water ecosystems. Water can be reclaimed by investing in greener sanitation systems such as ozone and UV light, and improving wastewater systems. • Replace inefficient pumps – Outdated pumps consume more power than modern alternatives. Unlike new pumps with variable-frequency drives,

traditional pumps will run continuously regardless of flow rates or water requirements, consuming a lot of unnecessary energy. • Reclaim and revitalise natural water systems – Human efforts to manage and reuse water pale compared to the impacts of wetlands, aquifers, rivers and forests. If we protect, rehabilitate and recharge such systems, they will make a massive difference in both water availability and reducing temperatures. • Recycle water – From self-made home systems reusing greywater for gardens to large-scale wastewater recycling using anaerobic and aerobic ponds to create drinking water, water recycling is one of our greatest tools to improve water resilience. Global warming threatens water, but we can fight back. By everyone doing their part to conserve water, we can turn the tide against climate change.

Chetan Mistry, strategy and marketing leader, Xylem