Water is Life: Bal Tashchit, Tashlich, and a Call to Conservation Action

August 2023

By David H. Rosenthal

In many cultures, water is considered the essence of life. Water is central to Judaism with many metaphors flowing throughout our texts. We use the ritual of tashlich, the ceremonial casting of our “sins” into the water on Rosh Hashanah as a starting place for considering the transformative, cleansing, and sustaining power of water in Jewish tradition.

In March, the United Nations convened the 2023 Water Conference, a once-in-a-generation opportunity to accelerate progress toward universal access to safe water and sanitation by 2030. The last conference was held in 1977, 46 years ago, in Argentina.

Water is at the core of sustainable development and supports all aspects of life on Earth. Decades of mismanagement and misuse have intensified water stress, threatening the many aspects of life depending on this crucial resource.

Five things you should be aware of:

1. We are facing a global water crisis and many U.S. cities are contending with water stress.

Water is essential for human well-being, energy and food production, healthy ecosystems, gender equality, poverty reduction, and more. Billions of people around the world lack access to water. More than 800,000 people are estimated to die each year from diseases directly attributed to unsafe water, inadequate sanitation, and poor hygiene practices.

Demands for this precious resource continue to rise. Approximately four billion people experience severe water scarcity for at least one month of the year. With water being so crucial to many aspects of life, it is important to ensure its protection and proper management.

2. Water and climate are inextricably linked.

From increasing floods, unpredictable rainfall, and droughts, the impacts of climate change on water can be seen and felt at an accelerating rate. These impacts threaten sustainable development, biodiversity, and people’s access to water and sanitation.

According to the latest State of the Climate Services on Water report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), water-related hazards have increased at an alarming rate. Since 2000, floods have increased by 134% with the duration of droughts by 29%.

Water can also be a key solution to climate change. Carbon storage can be improved by protecting environments like peatlands and wetlands, adopting sustainable agricultural practices, reducing stress on freshwater supplies, and improving water supply and sanitation infrastructures, ensuring everyone has access to vital resources in the future.

Water must be at the center of climate policies and action. Sustainable water management builds resilience, mitigates the effects of climate change, and protects societies and ecosystems. Sustainable, affordable, and scalable water solutions must become a priority.

3. Four decades on, bold new commitments are on the table.

The UN 2023 Water Conference marks a crucial moment in a concerted effort to “take action and address the broad challenges surrounding water,” in the words of Li Junhua, UN under-secretary-general for the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) and the secretary-general of the event.

- Internationally agreed goals, including Sustainable Development Goal 6 of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for a fairer future, ensuring access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene for all.

- A Water Action Agenda capturing all water-related voluntary commitments and tracking their progress. The Agenda aims to encourage member states, stakeholders, and the private sector to commit to urgent actions addressing today’s water challenges.

4. Focus on five key areas.

- Water for health: Access to safe drinking water, hygiene, and sanitation.

- Water for sustainable development: Valuing water, water-energy-food nexus, and sustainable economic and urban development.

- Water for climate, resilience, and environment: Source to sea, biodiversity, climate, resilience, and disaster risk reduction.

- Water for cooperation: Transboundary and international water cooperation, cross-sectoral cooperation, and water across the 2030 Agenda.

- Water action decade: Accelerating the implementation of the objectives of the decade, including through the UN Secretary-General’s Action Plan.

5. How can you get involved? Take the water footprint calculator: https://www.watercalculator.org/ to assess your water usage.

Some simple actions you can incorporate into daily routines:

- Take shorter showers and reduce your water waste in your home. With 44% of household wastewater not being safely treated, taking shorter showers is a terrific way to save this precious resource. Google “Lazy Person’s Guide to Saving Water”.

- Participate in clean-ups of local rivers, lakes, or wetlands. Plant a tree or create your own water garden. These actions help protect water ecosystems from pollution, reduce the risk of flooding, and store water efficiently.

- Raise awareness of the critical connection between toilets, sanitation, and menstruation. Break taboos by starting conversations in your local community, school, or workplace.

Jewish tradition teaches and commands responsibility, and the importance of caring for the environment, for we must act as partners in preserving creation. If you are interested in supporting Shalom Green, by volunteering your time or providing financial support, please visit our website at www.shalomgreenCLT.org or email us at info @shalomgreenCLT.org. Connect with us on Facebook at Shalom Green: Shalom Park Environmental Initiative and on Instagram and Twitter @shalomgreen_CLT.