Water is vital and indispensable for humans and all living things. The importance of water for the human body is due to the fact that it makes up 60% of the body, a percentage that varies depending on age, body mass index and gender. Our heart and brain are about three quarters water while this proportion rises to 83% in our lungs. Even apparently 'dry' bones are made up of 31% H2O. Water in our bodies performs many functions, such as regulating temperature, lubricating joints and nourishing our brains. This is why, each day, every human being needs to drink enough water to maintain the water balance between inputs and outputs, avoiding dehydration which, when excessive, can even lead to death. In fact, we can go weeks without eating but survive only very few days without drinking. The minimum requirement of a human being to ensure survival is about 4.5 litres of water per day, taken either in liquid form (water or other drinks) or in food. However, for daily activities (such as, for example, personal hygiene and washing clothes) it is possible to consume more than 100 litres per day!

People are particularly interested in drinking water, which is becoming increasingly scarce in relation to the growing world population and due to pollution. In various parts of the world, installations that make seawater drinkable are in operation, especially along the coasts of arid regions, to make up for the lack of drinking water on the continents. The variability of climatic and hydrogeological conditions makes the availability of water vary considerably from one region to another. Even those countries with a high supply of fresh water run the risk of facing water scarcity. Lack of water, in fact, is a relative concept, as it can refer either to an absolute lack of water or to the difficulty of accessing safe water supplies. On all continents, water resources are being exploited to an increasing extent by the growing demand for irrigation for agricultural purposes, urbanisation and industrial use. Economic development and urban growth often cause damage to freshwater streams through increased pollution. This reduces the amount of good quality water available for primary uses such as drinking, feeding and personal hygiene.

During the last century, the world's consumption of fresh water has increased almost 10-fold, and about 70% of the water consumed on Earth is used for agricultural purposes. This is a decreasing percentage because consumption for industrial (22%) and domestic (8%) uses is increasing. In less developed regions, the percentage of water used for agriculture is higher, while in more developed regions the percentage of water used for industrial and domestic purposes is higher. The more we move towards low-income countries, the more the percentage devoted to crops increases to an average of 82%. High-income countries, on the other hand, allocate less water to agriculture (30% on average), but use more for industry and households, 59% and 11% on average.  

Drinking water in the world

The availability of drinking water varies according to geographical area, with significant differences between the North and the South of the world. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has estimated the personal daily requirement to be at least 50 litres, and ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all is Goal 6 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Unfortunately, treatment and management of fresh water requires huge investments and appropriate policies and, often, in territories where fresh water is 'scarce', the problem regards not only availability but also economic and political issues. 

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Water and agriculture

Agricultural use of water to irrigate fields represents the main form of consumption of global hydric resources and involves two thirds of global availability of fresh water. Water is not evenly distributed on our planet, hence, very often, human intervention is necessary to modify the natural flows of rivers and build artificial canals to bring water where it’s needed. Hydric requirements in agriculture depend on numerous factors among which are climate, soil characteristics, crop practices, irrigation methods, type of farming and many others. 

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Water employed for breeding

By 2025 more than 60% of the world population will live in water-stressed conditions. The zootechnical sector substantially contributes to water consumption and its pollution both directly and indirectly: 8% of world hydric consumption concerns the zootechnical sector that employs water mainly to irrigate fields farmed to produce fodder. Just think that 15 thousand litres of water are required to produce 1 k of beef! To produce 1 kg of chicken we need 3,500 litres of water whereas the production of cereals requires less water, that is 3,400 litres for rice, 2 thousand for soy, 1,400 for wheat. 

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Water and industrial activities

Man uses water also for industrial activities. The amount of water used in industrial activities depends on many factors, such as the kind of activity and technology used. Generally speaking, the uses you can make of water can be grouped into three types: for production (used as a raw material in the production process: for instance, the water required to make pasta or fruit juices), to cool machinery (basically, just like the radiator of our cars) and finally to wash equipment. 

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Water and energy

In addition, water is a renewable source of energy: the production of energy in hydroelectric plants does not involve real water consumption, but reduces the availability of water in other sectors (such as farming or civil sectors). Water is also used in thermoelectric plants, where it is not directly used to produce energy, but only to cool machinery. Water from industrial uses can also be polluted, even if now many industrialised countries have issued strict laws that limit the concentration of pollutants… 

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Water, sea and fish

Oceans are important not only for the plentiful food they can offer to man through fishing. From an ecological point of view, they provide over one half of the goods and services required to maintain the vital balance of the planet and host more animal species than any other system on Earth. In addition, through their volume and density, they absorb, store and carry large amounts of heat, water and nutritional substances. Fishing covers on average 25% of the world’s consumption of animal proteins. 

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Water is a vital resource for humankind and a precious commodity which must be safeguarded. According to the latest United Nations World Water Resources Development Report, the world could suffer from a 40 percent overall water scarcity in 2030. In fact, the availability of drinking water is gradually decreasing as a result of ongoing climate changes and global warming but also as a result of increased needs due to population growth and increasing consumption by industry and agriculture and as a result of its deterioration due to the negative impact of many human activities and our excessive use and waste of it.

It tends to be considered a renewable resource because, after being used, it returns to the water cycle entering seas, rivers and groundwater, but the quantity and quality of freshwater available on the planet is decreasing every year. From industry to agriculture, solutions are being sought to reduce consumption and prevent pollution through increasingly advanced purification systems.

Water saving in agriculture

Often a great part of water drawn for irrigation purposes doesn’t reach crops due to leaks along the pipes that transport water from the withdrawal point to the fields. Only part of the water reaching fields is used to grow crops, the rest is lost due to evapotranspiration and infiltration in the soil. Different strategies exist to save water in agriculture which, when integrated among them, can increase water saving.

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Industrial water saving

It is estimated that by 2050 the industrial sector will increase its water demand by 150%. Saving water not only means saving a precious resource at an environmental level but also entails a real costs saving. Besides specific technological measures for every type of industry, tactics as reuse and recycle can be put into practice. Reusing means using waste water after treating it, for example, municipal waste water which is treated for irrigation of green areas. 

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Give your contribution to water saving

There are many things we can do to save water and give our contribution to save and preserve water resources. Here are some suggestions. I drink tap water! Prefer tap water to bottled water. Tap water, infact, doesn’t need packaging. Drinking it means reducing the use of petrol to produce plastic bottles…

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