Our View: OU has become a leader in water research. It’s time for students to lead efforts to address the worldwide water crisis.
One of the most common complaints about living in the Norman area is the quality of the drinking water. The taste is suspect, and there’s always some rumor about it being generally unsanitary.
To be honest, many of us on the editorial board are guilty of the same complaints.
But for approximately one in eight people worldwide, just having access to drinkable water is a constant struggle.
The United Nation’s 2006 Human Development Report reported that horrifying number, and the same research showed the global water crisis has claimed more lives than any violent conflict in world history.
For the 1.9 billion children from the developing world, one in five is without access to clean water, according to UNICEF’s 2005 State of the World’s Children report.
Recently, researchers at OU have been given a chance to help combat this problem by adapting a water purification technology developed for a local source into a system that can purify the polluted water source of a village in Bolivia.
This project will be featured in OU WaTER Center’s International WaTER Conference, which started Monday and brings international speakers on water issues to campus.
Unclean drinking water spreads diseases and lowers the overall health of populations.
The UN reported that at any given time, almost half the world’s hospital beds are filled with patients stricken by diseases associated with unsafe drinking water and inadequate sanitation.
The World Health Organization has calculated that about 1.8 million children die each year from a lack of clean drinking water — one death every eight seconds.
You can contribute to efforts to provide clean drinking water to everyone. Check out TheWaterProject.org to donate or help spread awareness of this widespread problem. Or go to CharityWater.org to learn more about the water crisis.
Also, try adapting some of these suggestions for better conserving water in your daily life:
• When hand-washing dishes, don’t let the water run while rinsing. One sink can hold wash water and the other rinse water.
• Run your clothes washer and dishwasher only when full to save up to 1,000 gallons a month.
• Keep a pitcher of water in the refrigerator instead of running the tap.
• Designate one glass for your drinking water each day or refill a water bottle.
• Turn the shower head off while shampooing your hair.
• Check to make sure your taps aren’t dripping when you’re done using them.
And next time you feel like complaining about having to buy a water filter to make your readily available tap water taste better, take a few seconds to think about those around the world who every day must choose between thirst and disease.
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briareus 7 months ago
I am baffled as to why I should conserve water in Oklahoma. How could this possibly help people in Africa or Asia? There is no water shortage in central Oklahoma. We have lots of water, and its a renewable resource. Even with the ongoing drought, there is no shortage.