World Environment Day 2020: How Nature Benefits From Conserving Water

The United Nations (UN) observes World Environment Day each year on June 5 to remind people of the need for environmental conservation. The theme of World Environment Day 2020 is “celebrating biodiversity,” a concern which the organization called both “urgent and existential” on its website.

It clearly pointed out to what extent we are dependent on nature in terms of our survival. “The foods we eat, the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the climate that makes our planet habitable all come from nature,” the post read. The string of calamities such as Australian bushfires, coronavirus pandemic, cyclones, and locust attacks have drawn our collective attention to the fact that our health is inherently linked to that of the planet.

The current environmental crisis is a disturbing reminder that we mustn’t downplay the importance of simple habits in our daily lives that can potentially make a big difference, especially conserving water.

Our nature can reap benefits from conserving water and here is how:

The U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation said in its report last year that 97% of the total water on Earth is saltwater which is not fit to drink, and freshwater accounts for only 3% of which only 0.5% is available for drinking. It says that the other 2.5% of freshwater is locked up in glaciers, polar ice caps, atmosphere, and soil; either too polluted or too far under the earth’s surface “to be extracted at an affordable cost.”

The tally strongly highlights the importance of conserving water given the increasing population rates across the world. It’s high time we realized that the job of conserving water should not be restricted to the scientists, farmers, or hydrologists, and we all should responsibly embrace the mission.

We can lower the chances of drought by the means of water conservation. What best we can do to reverse the possibly drastic consequences of widespread water shortages erupting from industrial growth, natural calamities, and population boom is keeping the amount of water we use every day in check.

Here are some quotes about water conservation that validate the aforesaid:

• “How many drops make up an ocean? Conserve water; every drop counts.” –Anonymous
• “It takes a lot of blue to stay green.” –Anonymous
• “A drop of water is worth more than a sack of gold to a thirsty man.”- Anonymous
• “Don’t let life slip down the drain.”- Anonymous
• “Save water, and it will save you.”- Anonymous