A recent UN report has put in words the state of the world’s fresh water resources. Plainly speaking it isn’t good. We are officially in the era of Global Water Bankruptcy, according to the report summary, and this means that not only have we managed to extract so much of a renewable resource that it cannot replenish faster than our extraction. This means we have less water to go around, and it increases groundwater extraction. Such extraction from aquifers has become so rampant that cities are sinking into the ground due to the amount of water pulled out.
What do these findings of global water bankruptcy mean?
Losing our fresh water resources, whether they be glacial loss due to climate change, or loss of rivers and lakes due to water pollution by ineffective waste management and dumping of industrial toxic waste into our water bodies, has severe implications. We will be seeing more droughts caused by human activities, yes, and they’ll be costly for sure, but since our land is also sinking, we are now at higher flood risks as well.
Beyond droughts and floods, the loss of wetlands leads to ecological damage. Moreover, even before we almost depleted the world’s water resources, we weren’t able to provide clean drinking water to everyone. And now we are polluting it with microplastics, extracting more than nature can replenish, and entering a severe water crisis that current policies can’t mitigate. Youth, women, and those in marginalised communities are going to suffer disproportionately because of this, which we see lived evidence of. As nearby rivers and lakes dry up, women and children have to walk longer distances to fetch water. Not only does this increase exposure to unsavoury actors who would indulge in sexual crime and violence against women (though that is a societal issue as well), but it also takes away time that could be spent on education, even if women share knowledge on these long walks.
Agricultural communities, especially small farmers, are going to be hit hard by this, which could potentially increase food insecurity for many. On the mental health front, water insecurity can lead to more substance abuse and increased rates of domestic violence against women.
What does this mean for India and Holi?
India is an agrarian country, which means we aren’t immune to the coming water crisis. Not only this but water plays a major part in many traditions native to India, across communities. For example, Holi.
While some argue that originally it was a festival of dry colours and flowers, over time it has become the norm to enjoy Holi with water balloons, pichkaris, and now rain dance. In the hot Indian summer (provided seasons arrive as they’re meant to despite climate change), such games could help us cool down. But if there’s no water to drink or bathe or brush, how are we supposed to play Holi?
Sure, there’ll be talks of privatising water, which is a naturally occurring community resource. This would essentially lead to a class of society which has access to a substance necessary for life, while others somehow survive. But even if, by the grace and work of activists, we manage to avoid this dystopia, unless policy changes are religiously implemented to protect our water and soil, stop land degradation, control pollution, and hold corporations accountable to their climate goals, we are looking at a future with water insecurity. Some say it’s the data centres that are guzzling down water, others point to red meat production- especially factory farming-, and yet others point to waste. The UN report summary clearly outlined pollution caused by industrial waste and agricultural runoff, climate change, land degradation, and over extraction as causes of this crisis.
The question that then comes is how to play Holi in such a time? Do we revert to dry colours and flowers to preserve water? Or do we ensure that any water we use is recycled and repurposed to either water plants or as grey water- and is that feasible in water preservation? Do we switch to natural colours that won’t pollute the soil?
These are questions we must answer alongside more everyday and every person’s questions, such as how do ensure effective waste management at housing complex levels? How do we ensure healthy rainwater harvesting? Do we limit our use of AI, and when our companies insist we use the technology? Who advocates for better policies and how? How do we protect our forests, especially when we have to balance preservation of natural habitats and resources with development?
Essentially, in the era of water bankruptcy, what does sustainable development mean, and how do we ensure it?
