Our Planet, Volume 14, Number 1, 2003 Page: 3
31 p. : col. ill., col. mapsView a full description of this periodical.
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Our Planet
I
From the desk of
KLAUS TOEPFER
United Nations
Under-Secretary-General
and Executive Director,
UNEP
t may seem curious to celebrate a
tiny piece of rubber, small[[er than
a US quarter, found in bathroom
taps and kitchen faucets around the
globe. But the humble washer is one
of a range of [ow-tech devices with a
big part to play in reducing losses of
water, that most fundamental natura[
resource on which all[[ [ife depends.
A [eaky tap, dripping every second,
may seem like a drop in the ocean,
but it wastes well[[ over 4 [itres a day.
Over a month, a seriously [eaking tap
can lose as much as 10,500 [itres.
Taking action
Fixing taps is just one action we
can all[[ take to conserve water for
the sake of communities and wildlife
habitats alike. Simple, thoughtful
measures, across homes, com-
munities, work-places, industries and
cities could rea[[y make a difference.
UNEP's International Environ-
mental Technology Centre in Osaka,
Japan, is compiling a database of
water-saving tips, technologies and
policies drawn from both the deve-
[oped and developing world, including
small[[ island states.Dual flush lavatories, in which
either 10 or 5 [itres are used depend-
ing on need, can save up to 15 [itres
a day. They may only be affordable in
more developed nations. But bricks,
milk jugs filled with pebbles, or
similar 'toilet displacement devices' -
as they are euphemistically called -
cost little and, when placed in a
conventional lavatory's water tank,
can cut the flush by some 4 [itres.
Showers account for some 20 per
cent of a household's total in-door
water use in a country like the United
States. Installing low-flow shower-
heads has been calculated to save a
family of four 80,000 [itres of water
a year.
As much as 600 [itres can be saved
when washing a car by turning off the
hose between rinses, while washing it
on the lawn, rather than the driveway,
can save water needed to keep the
grass green.
Some Pacific and Caribbean
islands - such as Kiribati, Nauru,
Saint Lucia and the Bahamas - have
dual supply systems. Drinking water
comes through one pipe while
another brings in saltwater for the
lavatory.
Rainwater harvesting is under-
utilized, but has huge potential in
both the developing and developed
worlds. The Ryogoku Kokugikan
Sumo-wrestling arena in Sumida
City, Japan, collects rainwater on its
8,400 square metre roof for lavatory
flushing and air conditioning.
In China, 17 provinces have
installed between 5 million and 6
million rainwater harvesting tanks
supplying an estimated 15 million
people with drinking water as well[[ as
providing back-up irrigation for over
a million hectares of farmland. In
some Nigerian homes, broad-leaved
trees collect rainwater which then
runs down a bamboo gutter into a pot.
Rea[ conservation efforts are
needed in agriculture, which uses up
to 70 per cent of freshwater andwastes much of it. Simple and cheap
drip technologies, using underground
pipes, can dramatically reduce losses
by such factors as evaporation. Indian
researchers have claimed water
savings of 60 per cent.
The database also cites case
studies from countries, including
developing ones, where water
metering has been tried and leak
detection adopted to reduce huge
losses from water supply networks.
Water consumption was cut by 43 per
cent in Honiara, Solomon Islands,
after the introduction of meters. In
Ma[ta, losses from pipes were cut
from 55 per cent to 25 per cent follow-
ing a leak detection programme.
In Chile, laws have encouraged a
water market involving tradable and
transferable rights. As a result, its
farmers shift during droughts from
growing water-intensive crops such
as corn and oilseeds, to higher value
ones, which need less water, like
fruits and vegetables.
The font of ife
Many of these practical steps are only
possible if water is given value. This
value may be economic, but it can
also be cultural . Since the dawn of
time - and often through the
teachings of the world's great re[i-
gions and beliefs - water has been
revered and recognized as the font of
a[[ll life.
This year's slogan for World
Environment Day is 'Water: Two
Bill[[ion People are Dying for It!'. It is
incumbent on the 4 bill[[ion who are
not, to renew their respect for water
by valuing every drop .
YOUR VIEWS
I would really tike to receive your feedback
on the issues raised in this edition of
Our Planet. Please either e-mail
feedback@ourplanet.com or write to:
Feedback, Our Planet, 27 Devonshire Road
Cambridge CB1 2BH, United Kingdomi ,r
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United Nations Environment Programme. Our Planet, Volume 14, Number 1, 2003, periodical, 2003; Nairobi, Kenya. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc28514/m1/3/: accessed May 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; .