Sep
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Water in the Future? Musings while in an Optimistic Mood
September 10, 2008 | Posted by admin
6 Comments
Peter Gleick
Series: Water Resources in the Next Decade
I have spent a lot of time in the last couple of decades thinking about the future of water. I think there are some truly depressing possibilities facing us. But I swing back and forth between pessimism and optimism as I get older, and find I much prefer optimism. I don’t know what the future will look like – there are, of course, many possible futures. But I can see, at least through occasional patches of clearing fog, the outlines of a future we might want to pursue.
Many of my recent research projects and even my policy musings (at www.pacinst.org and www.worldwater.org) have touched on the idea of a “soft path for water” – a new way of thinking about sustainable water planning, management, and use. I truly believe that we will, inevitably, move along such a path. The ways we managed water in the 20th Century brought many benefits to us – the water infrastructure and systems we developed have brought remarkable changes and advantages as the world has developed and advanced. But we also must acknowledge that many things we did in the 20th Century have inadvertently contributed to some of the worst water challenges we now face: the massive destruction of aquatic ecosystems; overpumping or contamination of nonrenewable ground water resources; and of course, the now inevitable consequences for our water systems of climate change.
But I also see signs of change, for the good. Things that we took for granted 20 years ago, or didn’t even think about, are now de rigueur for water, at least in some places. The solutions to our water supply problems are no longer assumed, blindly, to be the narrow traditional solutions we applied – large centralized storage. Such solutions may still make sense sometimes, and in some places, but new concepts of “supply” are now joining the portfolio of options considered: advanced treatment and reuse of wastewater, modern versions of traditional rainwater harvesting, integrated management of surface water and ground water, and desalination. There is a classic saying, “When you know how to use a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.” Fortunately, as we realize our problems are not just nails, we are expanding
our tools.
Finally, the nascent effort to integrate ecosystem thinking into water policy is a critical part of any truly sustainable water future, and long overdue. We don’t know how to do it well. But we do know that we have no choice. Water for humans and water for ecosystems must not be considered mutually exclusive but mutually necessary.
It is still easy to get depressed. The failure to meet basic human needs for water and sanitation for billions grates on me every second of the day. I agonize over heedless and massive ecosystem destruction. The continued pressure to do the wrong things in water policy because of greed or avarice or stupidity or ignorance delays our progress along the soft path for water. But I really believe that progress is inevitable, as we make it harder and harder to do the wrong thing and easier and easier to do what is right.
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Peter, I share your frustration and your optimism. Thanks for your thoughtful post, it’s right on–especially the last line! Jane
We should all listen to this man more than we do now. He’s on the right track.
I have heard Dr. Gleick speak a few times and have dome some research on his astonishing curriculum vitae. I listen closely to his opinions about water because, to my mind, he is the ultimate water geek – higest compliment I can give. One thing that bongs at my head whenever I think about the state of our water is the bare-knuckles fight that still goes on each day to control it. Notice I wrote “our” water. How I wish those in my Valley; those in my county, state, nation continent got that concept! Our water.
I have heard Dr. Gleick speak a few times and have dome some research on his astonishing curriculum vitae. I listen closely to his opinions about water because, to my mind, he is the ultimate water geek – higest compliment I can give. One thing that bongs at my head whenever I think about the state of our water is the bare-knuckles fight that still goes on each day to control it. Notice I wrote “our” water. How I wish those in my Valley; those in my county, state, nation continent got that concept! Our water.
Hi Peter,
I think we agree on the big things (soft path GOOD), but I hope that you can spend MUCH more time on demand-side “solutions”, e.g., higher prices.
For example, the misemphasis that you and PI place on conservation (versus market forces) was the reason I slammed your report as useless (http://aguanomics.com/2008/09/are-farmers-dumb.html).
Looking forward to a better version next time.
As long as they look for water in the same manner, they will struggle along without it.