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Water, water, (no longer) everywhere
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Water is life. As California and the Western US grapple with a decades-long “megadrought,” we’re reminded of previous attempts from as far back as the earliest civilizations to control water. For instance, ancient civilizations built irrigation systems to keep their crops alive while also poisoning water or withholding it from enemies during conflicts. Globally, 40% of the population suffers from a lack of fresh water. [WSJ] |
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Dwindling groundwater. One-third of the global population relies on groundwater as their sole source of drinking water. In parts of the Western and Midwestern US, however, drought and over-irrigation are depleting reserves of this precious resource. Major aquifers supplying water for drinking and for growing crops are drying up, threatening the livelihoods of generations of farmers 100 years after the Dust Bowl. [Atlantic] |
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Why it matters. Water is getting more attention from political leaders, says Giulio Boccaletti, the author of Water: A Biography and a former McKinsey partner. The changing climate is one reason; another is that “the institutions and infrastructure that we built to protect us from water events are also beginning to fail with greater frequency,” he explains. Now is the time to reflect upon why that is and how we move forward. |
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‘A continuous cycle.’ There isn’t “some magical silver bullet” that will fix the world’s water problems, says Boccaletti. Instead, the answer is “a continuous cycle of adaptation and making sure that what we should do with our landscape is at the top of public debate and at the heart of public discourse.” To learn how water has shaped history, how different societies have dealt with water, and what’s needed to address the water issues of today and tomorrow, read the full interview, part of our Author Talks series.
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| — Edited by Katherine Tam |
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