The African Water Facility (AWF) is an organization launched in collaboration with the African Development Bank (AFDB) that finances and promotes sustainability projects to render water accessible to local population and therefore ameliorate their living conditions.  The AWF serves as a catalyzing force that collects all investments in order to render them profitable towards sustainable actions and projects for the water sector in Africa. The mission of this organization is to ‘” improve the enabling environment and strengthen water resources management in Africa by attracting the massive and appropriate investments necessary to achieve national and regional water objectives” (Source: http://www.africanwaterfacility.org/en/about-us/mission-and-mandate/). In addition, this organization’s mandate comprises the target of investments for infrastructure development projects, raising awareness about water issues, supporting the River Basin Organizations and establishing a method to evaluate the projects and their developments. The Governing Council of the AWF, comprised of thirteen members, establishes the general policies guiding the focus and direction of the organization. In addition, the council proposes areas of intervention and reviews the previous annual reports.

An interesting project approved by the AWF is the Formulation of Burundi’s Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) Plan, supported by the AWF.  The goals of this project are to reduce poverty, consequently improving the well-being of the populations and “conserving vital natural resources through enhanced water governance” (Source: http://www.africanwaterfacility.org/fileadmin/uploads/awf/projects-activities/BURUND_IWRM_PLAN_APPRAISAL_RPT_FINAL.PDF). Despite popular belief, Burundi has abundant water resources, yet the problem arises due to a dramatically uneven distribution amongst the population. With the fervent increase for water, tension is escalatingin the country. In 1989, a National Commission of Water and Energy was created, yet this structure has stopped function since 1992. Since then, no other national structure to control water has been developed. The AWF has recognized the need to make an urgent change and therefore has accepted to sponsor part of the project.

Of course financing such projects wouldn’t be possible without the help of valuable partners like the World Conservation Union (IUCN), the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), the World Water Council or the Global Water Partnership. The IUNC, one of the world’s largest conservation network that an equitable use of water as a fundamental vital resources. The NEPAD focuses on all the challenges facing the African continent, from poverty to social marginalization; the organization seek projects and sustainable interventions that can enhance the general well-being of the continent.

With so many actors involved, coordination and communication become the two fundamental milestones that can determine the success or failure of a long-term sustainable development project. Water is probably the most precious resource on earth and should be accessible to every human being as a right instead of being a privilege for a small minority. The African Water Facility is working in order to extend that privilege to those who need it the most.

In 2007, PUB won the Stockholm Industry Water Award and was also named Water Agency of the year at the Global Water Awards of 2006 due to its hard work and successful way to manage used water with various raw water sources in an integrative and sustainable manner. The agency catch line “Water for All: Conserve, Value, Enjoy” is representative of their hard work when it comes to water conservation in order to “have enough water for all uses- for industry, for living, for life” (Source: http://www.thegovmonitor.com/world_news/asia/singapore-launches-water-wally-website-36582.html). In order to achieve these goals, PUB takes care the collection, production distribution and reclamation of water. Thanks to the Deep Tunnel Sewerage System (DTSS), used water is treated to be discharged into the sea or further purified into new water. PUB is working very hard to educate population to basic principles of water conservation. According to their official website, it seems that the hard work is paying off:  “Singapore’s per capita domestic water consumption has been brought down from 165 litres per day in 2003 to the current 155 liters” (Source: http://www.pub.gov.sg/conserve/Pages/default.aspx). Their long-term ambitious target is to lower the water consumption to 140 litres by 2030.

PUB has developed a 360 degrees portal that tackles water issues on all possible fronts. They approach water issues from the stand point of all the various targets and social groups found in the local population. From an interactive online mascot for children, to serious tips for business owners PUB has learnt to communicate about important issues in an effective targeted manner. For instance, in order to respond to the ever-increasing water demands of industries and businesses, PUB has launched the Water Efficiency Fund (WEF) in order to raise awareness amongst company in order to educate them to water conservation and teach them efficient ways to manage their water demand.  To encourage Singaporeans to develop a special respect for water, pub is working hard with sporting events and organizations in oder to promote water sports amongst the local population. According to the organization, if people develop a special bond and appreciation for water they will most likely feel the need to respect it and safeguard it.

For its 5^th anniversary, PUB decided to launch the Water Wally e-games, rendering the mascot of water conservation even more popular amongst children. Through games and fun, children can finally learn about water conservation and water issues. The friendly mascot, an amusing water drops, teaches children how to use water wisely and why it is important to keep reservoirs clean. As a reward system, if a child scores enough points in the Wally e-games about water conservation, they can win Wally toys! According to George Madhavan, director of 3P Network, PUB, “these games enhance our sustained efforts in school outreach programme to encourage our younger generation to value water and to care for it” (Source: http://www.thegovmonitor.com/world_news/asia/singapore-launches-water-wally-website-36582.html).  The mascot was launched in 2005 in order to create a real dialogue with children about an issue that is too often portrayed as daunting and for grown-ups. By educating children at an early age, this is somewhat of a long-term investment on the future generations to come.

PUB, Singapore’s national water agency is an example to be followed around the world when it comes to dealing with water conservation. The agency has managed to turn the country’s water supply around, offering now quality potable tap water for all citizens. In addition, PUB is working hard to raise awareness amongst the population when it comes to water issues. Water Wally, the newest mascot has proven to be an interactive way to dialogue with children and to raise awareness with fun games about water and the importance of this natural element.

In order to better comprehend issues like water shortage or water pollution, it is fundamentall to consider production processes since water problems are often connected to a country’s economy. Faced with a serious water crisis, countries like Australia try to monitor national water plans in order to reduce water consumption as much as possible while still providing the needed water supply for the survival and well-being of the population. Before trying to elaborate a plan in order to control or change the water demand amongst the population, state officials should start by looking at the essence of the actual demand. For this reason, “national water use statistics should be extended in order to include full national water footprint accounts since this broadens the basis for the formulation of a national water plan” (Source: http://www.waterfootprint.org/?page=files/NationalWaterFootprint). In order for a national water project to be sustainable on the long term, a government needs to establish coherent national policies in all sectors involve. For instance, it is useless to establish a water plan it agriculture policies are not modified to respect the same coherent direction.

The water footprint of a nation can be defined as the total amount of water used to produce the goods and services consumed by the population of that nation. Considering that many goods that are consumed in a country are produced abroad, the water footprint of a nation is made out of the internal water footprint (water used inside the country) and the external water footprint (water used to produce a good abroad). In addition, there are three categories that can be found in a nation’s water footprint. The first is the blue water footprint, “the volume of freshwater that evaporated from the global blue water resources”. Second comes the green water footprint, “the volume of freshwater evaporate from the global green water resources (rainwater)” and finally the grey water foot print, “the volume of polluted water, calculated as the volume that is required to dilute pollutants to such an extent that the quality of the water remains about agreed water quality standards” (Source: http://www.waterfootprint.org/?page=files/NationalWaterAccountingFramework). Governments need to start by reducing the water footprint of their own structures and offices, in order to demonstrate the good example, so they can later work closely with industries in order to promote transparency and the need to raise social awareness amongst citizens.

Professor and expert, tell us that the  water footprint indicator permits “the attention to shift to the role of consumers and large food processors and retailers that process and sell final consumer goods” (Source: http://www.exploringgeopolitics.org/Interview_Hoekstra_Arjen_Virtual_Water_National_Footprints_Global_Economy_Value_Price_Pollution_Depletion_Management_Environment_Intensive_Exports_Imports.html). He puts the emphasis on the fact that each individual consumer and every company can have a tremendous impact on problems such as water depletion or pollution. He also reminds us that American citizens should make the biggest effort since the USA has the largest national footprint, per head it is double the world average! The main reason is due to the fact that Americans consume a lot of highly water-intensive goods, like meat. On the contrary, developing countries have a high water footprint not due to their large water consumption but because their agriculture methods are tremendously inefficient leading to a great waste of water.

So far, except for various debates and propositions, water remains a public resource, without any real market rules to establish trade price. Yet, it is important not to take it for granted because even if it seems endless and accessible water does have a very high value.  Treating water like it has no value leads to scarcity and other serious problems. Establishing a national water footprint is only the first step towards a more responsible and self-conscious attitude. The first step towards putting an end to the most avoidable natural crisis we could face.

This eco-friendly way to produce vegetables for home or sale consumption has seen a revival in the past years amongst a growing rate of Americans who want to grown their own greens. In this process, the waste produced by the fish becomes an automatic recycled form of nutrients for the plants. The water from the fish tank, rich in nutrients is pumped into the area where the plants are grown. “The plants clean the water of excess nutrients, the water is then oxygenated by simple means and is reused again and again in the fish rearing tanks” (Source: http://www.northernaquafarms.com/aquaphonics.html). Lettuce, chives, tomatoes and cucumbers all have successfully been raised in aquaponics; in addition to flowers such as rose or lilies. This simple process permits the recycling of water that would otherwise be considered useless waste. The functionally of this system is based on a mutual exchange: the plants purify the water while they get extra nutriments in exchange from the fish. This approach is totally eco-friendly since not only water is recycled, but also the usually chemical fertilizers are not need and cannot be used since they are harmful to the integration of the plants and fish. This system is revolutionary insofar a well operated structure uses “about one tenth of the water required for normal vegetable growing and reduces the water needed for single usage fish farming by 95% or greater” (Source: http://www.northernaquafarms.com/aquaphonics.html). This year long sustainable method of agriculture is particularly popular in Australia a country that has suffered numerous draughts.

In the United States, aquaponics seems to be at a early flourishing stage with a gradual increase in sales and demand. Rebbeca Nelson part of the Nelson & Pade company, publishes the Aquaponics Journal ( http://www.aquaponicsjournal.com/) and sells aquaponics systems in the USA. She has stated that subscriptions have doubled in the past years and she “estimates that there may be 800 to 1,200 aquaponics set-ups in American homes and yards and perhaps another 1,000 bubbling away in school science classrooms” (Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/18/garden/18aqua.html?_r=1).  If you are intrigued by aquaponics but have long-term commitment issues, an Atlanta based company called Earth Solution sells kits on the internet called “ farm in a box” that range from a price of 300$  to 3, 000$.  According to experts, aquaponics will replace hydroponics on the long term considering that it has considerable advantages over the practice of hydroponics: first of all the nutrient source is organic since it derives from fish waste and second of all, aquaponics provides a protein crop that is lacking in hydroponics.

This environmental friendly system is quickly developing in the United States and soon enough the industry will develop for both salt and fresh water fish. The product seems to be the future of gardening at a time where the world is suffering from a world crisis and where every single drop of water can make the difference.  This system is totally organic and recycles water that maintains the fish alive and enables plants to grow. For countries that suffer from droughts this might be a revolutionary method.

Born in Milford, Massachusetts in 1962, this young man graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in media and communication from Worcester College. He had a variety of different jobs for years, while cultivating his passion for underwater photography during his free time. Diving for more than 30 years, Brian Skerry managed to transform his passion for the sea life into his full time job. Today he is famous for having managed to capture great shots of right whales as he was standing underwater next to the enormous animal. In an interview for National Geographic he confesses that the pictures he shot of the right whales are probably his favorite since “to see a whale that big in perspective with a human being was cool” (Source: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/10/right-whales/skerry-field-notes). Cool?!! Yes, I bet your are just as amazed as I am by his nonchalance when it comes to diving into water with a 45 foot subject. When asked if he has ever felt in danger by being around them he responds by saying: “when the whales are three feet or four feet away from you, one gentle lift on its head, and it would be like being hit by a sidewalk. That never happened. They were just highly curious and wanted to know what I was about” (Source: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/10/right-whales/skerry-field-notes/ ). His gorgeous photographs and honest statements make the public develop a brand new appreciation for sea creatures that often are misleadingly portrayed as scary or aggressive towards humans.  The photographer reminds us of the difficulty to shoot a subject of such an imposing proportion, with whales it is practically impossible to use strobees in order to light them. For this reason he had to shoot at a very high speed, ISOs of 800 which impacted on the resolution of the shot. Despite technical and human difficulties, his shots manage to convey a human and kind aspect to a massive whale that is swimming in a vivid light blue ocean.

According to his official website, Skerry has spent more than 10 000 hours underwater over the course of his career; and “while on assignment he has lived on the bottom of the sea, spent months aboard fishing boats and traveled in everything from snowmobiles to canoes to the Goodyear Blimp to get the picture” (Source: http://www.brianskerry.com/). Covering different issues from the decrease in the world’s fishery, to the sharks of the Bahamas, without forgetting the harp seal’s struggle to survive in frozen waters. It is important to remember that is artist is also member of the International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP), an non-profit organization that gathers artists from around the world with the scope of promoting environmental and cultural conservation through the medium of ethical photography. Part of their mission is to “replace environmental indifference with a new culture of stewardship and passion for our beautiful planet” (Source: http://www.ilcp.com/?cid=22).  Part of their ethic principles comprises a careful use of images of animals in captivity: those shots should never ever be represented as wild and not pictures should be taken of animals in any sort of entertainment institutions that exploits animals for profits. With great respect and integrity, Skerry stays true to his values and the ones of ILCP, holding a great attention in order to leave intact and unaltered the natural environments where he takes his gorgeous shots.

Brian Skerry understands the urgent need to save the wildlife and the oceans before it is too late. He believes that visual arts and photography can perhaps be a less conventional but yet more efficient way to get the message across. With his incredible shots he manages to captures the ocean’s majestic glory that often hides a veil of fragility.

The spill has had a tremendous impact on the life of indigenous people who hold a great respect and reverence for natural resources. To coordinate their efforts towards finding a solution to diminish or at least contain damage, native people have traveled more than 3500 kilometers from the Ecuadorian Amazon in order to join a support rally with other native tribes. “Members of the United Houma Nation, a state recognized Tribe of 17,000 in the marshland of southeastern Louisiana, are subsistence fishers and trappers, who, in wake of the BP Deeepwater Horizon disaster, are facing an uncertain future” (Source: http://www.circleofblue.org/waternews/2010/world/people-from-ecuador-to-louisiana-forge-alliances-against-global-oil-spills/). Such communities have a special relationship with nature and all its elements; they have a great respect towards water since their survival depends of water’s resources like fish. Nature is at the centre of their economical and social survival. The Ecuadorian people feel directly involve in this situation since for the past 17 years they have been waiting for the outcome of the lawsuit filed against Chevron and Texaco. The case should decide if Chevron is guilty for having polluted around 5000 square kilometers of the Amazon Rainforest. This weeklong meeting was a unique occasion for the Ecuadorian people to share their knowledge, stories and experience in recovering from a disaster of such a large endeavor. In a press release, Thomas Dardar Jr., Principal Chied of the United Houma Nation said that he was pleased to meet his brothers and sisters from the Amazon in order to exchange opinion on how to protect the “indigenous way of life when face with such huge environmental impacts” (Source: http://www.circleofblue.org/waternews/2010/world/people-from-ecuador-to-louisiana-forge-alliances-against-global-oil-spills/).

While the native communities are organizing themselves to come up with a plan of action and to share their stories, musicians and artists all over the United States have offered their own contribution in response to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. From direct money donations to benefit concerts, artists have launched a new initiative: they will boycott BP products for all 2010 tours. Lady Gaga is the newest addition to this initiative launched by Jonathon Davis of KORN who has declared in an interview: “From everything we’re hearing about now, it’s become clear that BP cut corners to put profit ahead of safety. The message we are sending should tell all the oil companies to spend they money and take the necessary precautions to make sure this doesn’t happen again” (Source: http://www.forbes.com/2010/06/22/bp-spill-boycott-technology-lady-gaga.html). Not long ago, only the Backstreet Boys and KORN were on board; while now the initiative seems to have had a snowball effect, with many other artists like Creed, Megadeth or Filter. It is yet too early to determine the impact of this boycott, perhaps others bands will jump on board and maybe even fans.  This boycott raises a series of controversial questions and ethical debates. Will a boycott truly make a difference? Will BP use this boycott has an excuse to declare they lack the money in order to reimburse victims and to clean up the gulf?

Other strands of opinion seem to contradict this movement arguing that boycotting BP doesn’t really affect BP but instead causes financial harm to the station owners. Many American consumers are starting to refuse to fill up their cars with gas sold under BP’s name. “In 2008, BP announced it was exiting the retail gasoline business because the margins were lousy. Today, BP owns only about 100 of the 900 or so gas stations bearing its name. The rest are operated by independent business owners” (Source: http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/media/boycott-bp-that-hurts-station-owners-not-the-company/19499350/). Stations who bear the BP brand are suffering greatly in this situation and due to legal contracts they have no way to distance or separate themselves from the giant firm. According to protesters, their objective is not to hurt local station owners, “the boycott’s objective is to tarnish BP” (Source: http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/media/boycott-bp-that-hurts-station-owners-not-the-company/19499350/ ).

While many critiques and reactions are questionable, one thing is for sure, people are angry and demand explanations. While answers fail to arrive, and time is ticking citizens and individuals that have directly been impacted by this disaster feel the need to react and to communicate their sentiments to the entire world. Only time will tell if those initiatives will make the difference, but at least some of us feel the need to take action immediately, putting pressure on BP and the Obama administration.

The water footprint of a business can simply be defined as the entire volume of fresh water used directly and indirectly in order to keep a business running and alive.  A distinction needs to be made between the operational water footprint, “the direct water use by the business in its own operations” and the supply-chain water footprint “the water use in the business’s supply chain” (Source: http://www.waterfootprint.org/?page=files/CorporateWaterFootprintAccountingFramework).  Many companies who do not have a direct agriculture activity in itself but work with natural products like crop or milk, often have a supply-chain water footprint that is considerably larger than its operational footprint. Once the product is finalized and used by actual consumers, this part of the consumption is part of a usage water footprint calculated separately.

Looking at the water scarcity issue taking over the world, while businesses focus on increasing production and maximizing their profits, they often forget that sooner or later the same companies might have to deal with water shortage in their supply chains. In order to be forward-looking and business savvy, industries should transform the risk created by the issue of water scarcity around the world, into a potential opportunity: “frontrunners that create product transparency before other do, that formulate specific and measurable targets with respect to water footprint reduction, with special attention to areas where problems of water scarcity and pollution are most critical, can turn this into a competitive advantage” (Source: http://www.waterfootprint.org/?page=files/CorporateWaterFootprints). It is interesting to note that the supply-chain water footprint of most companies is greater than their water footprint on the front of their operational procedures. In this sense, it could be reasonable and more cost efficient for a firm to concentrate on reducing the use of water in their supply-chain in order to lower the cost of production and to contemporarily adopt a environmental-friendly attitude. Most firms seem to believe that having the appropriate water use license is enough; while this is not completely true. A valid suggestion is to “ look into the spatiotemporal details of the company’s water footprint, because details on where and when water is used can be used as input to a detailed water footprint sustainability” (Source: http://www.waterfootprint.org/?page=files/CorporateWaterFootprints). This process assures the company the possibility to clearly evaluate the direct economical and environmental impact in order to plan an appropriate business solution. Firms should also keep in mind that return water flows can be reused in other activities.

While it would be irrational to expect and demand to a firm to reduce completely its water usage both a valid alternative to be adopted by firms is the “Water neutral concept”. This concept encourages individuals and firms to pursue water conservation activities to make up for their daily water waste and water consumption activities. In order to compensate for activities that use a high water footprint, actors should invest their time and money into parallel water sustainable activities in order to “neutralize” the water waste. The strength of this concept “lies in its positive connotation, which may trigger communities and businesses to act where otherwise they might not have done so” (Source: http://www.oecdobserver.org/news/fullstory.php/aid/938/The_science_of_clean_water.html).  Clear standards and a measurement scale need to be implemented at the international level in order to be able to monitor the results that would serve as a greater incentive for corporations and offer them the possibility to see the concrete positive impact they are having on the environment.

This concept of water-neutral is still new and many questions need to be solved. Yet, this valid initiative has a strong value both from a corporate and environmentalist point of view. Every single individual company that accepts to be a part of the water-neutral concept counts as one small step towards making this a new business prerogative. Water scarcity and water pollution are one of the world’s most important problems that can be prevented. If the right mentality is implemented at the individual level and further on spread at the corporate level, with time and long-term commitment a positive change can happen.