“Contamination of water sources by toxins is affecting our drinking water supply. Some of these toxins produce liver disease, liver cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s,” said Larry Brand, professor at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science at the University of Miami.

Last month, Brand presented his views on marine hazards to human health at the Austral Summer XI Institute hosted in Concepcion, Chile. Nutrient runoff in freshwater ecosystems and the ocean can cause red tides, harmful algae blooms that produce natural toxins and deplete dissolved oxygen, Red tides directly impact the seafood industry, as evidenced by the red tide that wiped out Chile’s seafood industry a decade ago, noted Brand.

Excessive nutrient dumping is harmful to the environment and the economy. Still, a degree of ambivalence from politicians prohibits public policy from regulating marine pollution and nutrient runoff.

“It’s a political issue. It’s pretty clear that we need to reduce nutrient runoff in our water, but trench economic forces don’t want to do that,” continued Brand.

Improved sewage systems will decrease nutrient runoff into the U.S. water supply. Updating water infrastructure in the U.S. is fundamentally linked to protecting human health and preserving the ecological integrity of drinking water. But, gaps in funding for the maintenance and repair of aging infrastructure, coupled with a lack of political will to update systems, stymies efforts to improve faulty sewage systems.

Unregulated agricultural fertilization contributes to the contamination of water supplies and domestic environmental degradation. “There is a dead zone downstream in the Mississippi River due to fertilizer runoff. There are virtually no laws that prevent farmers from dumping huge amounts of fertilizer on to their farms,” informed Brand.

Fertilizer runoff from farms upstream of the Mississippi River creates tension and environmental inequity between upstream and downstream states. Uncontrolled fertilizer use by farmers upstream adversely affects ecosystems and markets dependent on them for economic development. 

Nutrient run-off degrades tourist locales that rely on the lush environment of the natural habitat to attract visitors.  Approximately 90 percent of coral reefs in the Florida Keys have been lost due to contamination from nutrient runoff. Sea grass meadows, the nursing ground for fish and crabs, are also compromised because of this pollution. Fragile ecosystems that support the seafood industry and the livelihood of local fishermen are being jeopardized by runoff double fold.

As the natural habitat of fisheries corrodes, the amount of fish bought and sold will decrease. Moreover, a lot of chemicals that are dumped into oceans, such as endocrine disrupters and PCB, bio magnify in the food chain. Hence, high levels of mercury in tuna and swordfish are an immediate concern for its deleterious impact on consumer health and the seafood industry.

Mobilizing funds and the political will to combat toxic nutrient run-off in the United States is a complex undertaking. Once variables including increased medical expenses for treating sicknesses due to poor water quality, ecological degradation, and decrease in seafood industry revenues are factored into the equation, one can anticipate a more proactive response at the decision making level.

Resolving the issue of marine hazards to human health cannot be treated as an isolated issue. Rather, it involves a cross disciplinary, multi-faceted approach to improving water infrastructure and appropriately analyzing the stratified impact of excessive nutrient runoff into water systems. Once the full scope of the economic, public health, and environmental risks of nutrient run off are understood, it will be prioritized on the eco-political agenda.

The picture above is a satellite shot of a red tide.

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Weathering the Age-Old Gap in the South Caucasus

Despite ethnic and religious clashes, agricultural production is a common denominator in a region split by other irreconcilable differences. Agricultural production is a major source of income for farmers in the South Caucasus. Easing competition for water supply and crop production is a fundamental way of securing peace between the countries.

The NATO Science for Peace and Security Program (SPS) launched an initiative to manage water use in agro-systems in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. This project is implemented by the Environment and Security Initiative (ENVSEC) , under which NATO coordinates its environmental security activities with five other international organizations.

Gerrit Hoogenboom, Professor of Agrometerology and Project Director of the SPS project in the South Caucasus told WaterWideWeb, “Water resource management is a politically hot issue that you need to negotiate. Right now, there are very strong ethnic differences between Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia.”

Consequently, lack of regional cooperation and historical disagreements are contributing  to soi degradation and high salinity in the local water supply. If the environment that supports agricultural production continues to erode, there is a potential for future unrest as agricultural production is compromised by mismanagement of natural resources.

“Water is thought of as an unlimited resource by local farmers. There is an extremely high amount of water use and water is being wasted,” continued Hoogenboom.

Flood irrigation is still the main method for watering crops in the South Caucasus. Hoogenboom’s team is implementing a series of technological advancements that will reduce water use, improve crop production, and prevent even more negative environmental impacts on the region’s agricultural sector.

The first step in promoting sustainable use of water supplies in this region is to educate farmers on their specific water needs for a given crop. Establishing a system that provides farmers with information about their water needs based on scientific data contributes to a collaborative effort to conserve natural resources by end users at the local level.

 Hoogenboom’s team introduced an automated weather station to calculate farmers’ water needs based on daily meteorological data. Farmers are then provided information such as the evaporative demand, enabling them to schedule irrigation in appropriate quantities.

Introducing new technological methods of measuring the amount of water needed for crop irrigation can reduce competition for scarce resources, while simultaneously improving the socio-economic structure that exists in the region.

The team also implemented a drip irrigation system in place of flood irrigation. The former was proven effective in Israel, another area that requires a best-practices approach to water resource management.

Drip irrigation on high value vegetable crops in the South Caucasus can significantly increase a farmer’s ability to demand a higher price for his agricultural output. Hoogenboom’s team also replaced seeds used by local farmers with a higher quality seed.

Improving the process of agricultural cultivation has immediate positive effects on environmental sustainability, economic development, and provides a potential for regional cooperation between the South Caucasus countries.

“In terms of sustainability, you have a multi-pronged effect.  With respect to economic development, you increase the income of local farmers, making them more secure. There’s sustainability of soil systems, salinity reduction, and decreased soil degradation,” noted Hoogenboom.

Technology transfer and capacity building do not discriminate against any specific groups race or ethnic origin. Working toward a sustainable development agenda and enhancing the quality of life for individuals who are otherwise divided by political differences have very tangible effects on regional cooperation.

“There is competition for water in the region. You can only use the water once and then it’s gone. Better water management means more water is available for people to share at the end,” concluded Hoogenboom.

Please watch the NATO Video “Fruits of Peace”, which details this endeavor or more depth, here

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Labeling seafood appropriately is important for safety and consumption, and protecting the livelihood of domestic fishermen.

Kathy Moore, biologist at the Center for Coastal Environmental Health and Bimolecular Research told WaterWideWeb, “We want to ensure that these species are well protected and that fisheries are protected from overharvest. If we don’t, we won’t be eating seafood for long. Fishery stocks might collapse.”

In the laboratory, Moore and other marine forensic scientists test samples of fish to confirm their identity. Recently, Moore’s team was active in a case involving farmed Vietnamese catfish that was being substituted for grouper.

Moore’s team used DNA markers and other tests to confirm that the catfish was being brought into the US illegally, and sold as grouper. Moreover, the catfish was being sold below market value and depressing the value of grouper. American fishermen could not compete with the lowered prices. Not to mention, consumer fraud was a major element in the case that proved Vietnamese catfish was being sold illegally.

“If it’s not labeled as catfish, it doesn’t go through the same testing as properly labeled catfish does.  They may contain certain chemicals that the U.S. has banned. It’s a food safety issue,” continued Moore.

Mislabeled seafood in the US is not uncommon. The work of Moore’s team and other marine forensic experts protects the income of local fish farmers, the health of seafood consumers, and the rigorous enforcement of marine law violations.

“We’re not helping the resource or the domestic fishermen that play by the rules if we’re letting mislabeled seafood get into the market,” Moore concluded. Distinguishing fish can be difficult, especially after it has been filleted and altered. So, scientists are advancing techniques to do so.

Mislabeled seafood is far more serious than spending a few extra dollars on a sandwich, though every dollar counts with the recovering economic crisis. Knowing that one gets what one pays for, in terms of quality and consumer satisfaction, is a consumer issue. Protecting each species for its nutritional safety, availability, and market value add up to a much bigger fish picture.

 The photo above was provided by Kathy Moore

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Underwater crimes include events such as anchors tearing through coral reefs, spills, using bleach or cyanide to stun tropical fish for the aquarium trade and more. Coral reef ecologist David Gulko spearheaded the movement of proving that crimes against coral reefs and other marine organisms took place by using forensics technology. 

In a telephone interview Gulko told WaterWideWeb, “In the early 2000’s, we were trained as scientists and presented our data in court. But, we were losing a lot of cases because lawyers and advisors were nailing us for not treating our data as evidence.” 

Essentially, Gulko was faced with the daunting task of securing a crime scene that takes places underwater, an environment that is ever-changing with currents, tides, and temperature. Underwater, there are no witnesses, predators can feed on evidence, and the ability to assess the crime is nuanced by the surrounding waters. 

Securing a crime scene underwater requires agility and efficiency. “We have to use methods that are fast, well coordinated, and multi-disciplinary. Rarely do we have the ability to go back to a same crime scene and find it in same condition,” continued Gulko. 

Ken Goddard, lab director of the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife Service Forensics Laboratory joined Gulko’s team to handle the investigative elements of crime scene analysis back in 2006. Goddard was a former deputy sheriff and criminalist for California’s Riverside County Sherriff’s Department. He also set up a Scientific Investigations Laboratory in California’s Huntington Beach Police Department and he’s an advisor for the popular T.V. series CSI. 

When Goddard joined Gulko’s team, he had to completely restructure procedures and protocols used to solve land crimes. But first, Goddard had to learn how to deep sea dive. “On land, you can take about two hundred to three hundred photographs at a typical crime scene. And, you collect about fifty to sixty items of evidence. We just can’t do that in the ocean,” noted Goddard. 

After his first meeting with Gulko and his team in Cozumel, Mexico in 2006, Goddard realized that specific forensic techniques were not directly applicable to underwater crimes. Most importantly, Goddard understood that every second counts when a diver goes under the water to assess a crime scene. “You only have 3 dives, which is approximately forty five minutes to an hour depending on the depth and current,” Goddard told WaterWideWeb. 

Securing a crime scene was only half of the battle to understanding underwater forensics. His job was to distinguish between impacts of coral reefs, determining when a crime took place, and identifying who could be prosecuted for crimes once enough evidence was compiled. 

Answering questions like “Who, What, When, and Where”, require soundproof analytic abilities combined with a stroke of sheer genius. “In terms of coral reefs, you first have to determine when a coral reef is dead. Then you have to know what the coral reef looked like a day, a week, or a month beforehand,” explained Goddard. 

Over the past several years, Gulko’s team has expanded and there are currently underwater forensics teams in the Dominican Republic and Barbados. Gulko’s team travels and teaches his techniques to teams of professionals around the world. “When we conduct trainings, we leave behind a trail and gear, and it’s left up to that countries natural resources trustee agency to implement the techniques we’ve taught,” explained Gulko. 

Gulko’s team uses a capacity building approach when training divers in different countries. Professionals at the local level who are familiar with the history and politics of a given country are then able to conduct underwater forensic investigations without outside involvement. 

The underwater CSI initiative is now expanding to include several new subfields for upholding violations of marine law. Firstly, Gulko’s team will be enhancing investigative enforcement if a fishing boat or other ship is suspected of taking part in illegal activities. Secondly, the team will come up with a means of testing for contaminants in the water almost immediately, without taking samples back to a lab for processing. 

“Really we’re working on the equivalent of home pregnancy test kit that you could use on the water to give a quick analysis of chemicals. It would be sensitive enough to assess things that would be hazardous to a team, and establish probable cause for follow up investigations,” said Gulko. Thirdly, the team will be working on a forensic model specifically for sea turtle crimes. 

Passing laws that make a crime punishable is only half of the battle to protecting our oceans and marine life. Enforcing those laws with proof and the laws of science are the other half of eco-rights equation. Science and good old fashioned detective work are joining forces to create a whole new type of environmental protection agency with Gulko’s underwater forensics and CSI laboratory. Criminals can paddle away but they certainly can’t hide from the clues that are left behind in the depths of the sea.

The photo above was taken by Professor Marcy Balunas and Kim Diver If you enjoyed this article, you should also read:

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The Panama International Cooperative Biodiversity Group (Panama ICBG) is a program funded by the U.S. government through the National Institute of Health and the National Science Foundation. The program began in 1998, initiated by Professor Phyllis Coley and her husband. In a telephone interview, Professor Coley told WaterWideWeb, “We saw that there should be a link between drug discovery in nature and conserving nature.”

Since then, the program has evolved from a focus on terrestrial plants to a comprehensive laboratory that includes testing compounds found in marine environments. “Philosophically, nations with high biodiversity need to see some benefit to programs that are working to conserve their environments. We had to come up with a model where host countries would get immediate benefit which would motivate them to protect endangered areas,” continued Coley.

Training and technology transfer are major facets of the program. The Panama ICBG program is structured to include local Panamanians in the drug discovery process.

Marcy Balunas, assistant professor of medical chemistry at the University of Connecticut, worked in Panama for three years collecting and testing compounds found in marine bacteria. Balunas told WaterWideWeb, “If we lose biodiversity in marine environments, we could lose the capacity to find new drugs.”

The work of Panama ICBG and other programs like it are ensuring that humankind lives in relative harmony with nature in multiple capacities. “There are drugs out there from the ocean already. The goal is to find new medicines to treat diseases that either aren’t well studied or that don’t have good treatment options,” explained Balunas.

So far, the Panama ICBG has identified the chemical compound Coibamide named after the island of Coiba in Panama. The team discovered that coibamide is incredibly active against cancer. Follow up studies on coibamide are revealing exactly how coibamide is active against cancer. “Coibamide kills a subset of cancer cells. It works in a whole new way that could lead to innovative means of drug discovery,” Coley noted.

Members of the Panamanian ICBG team at different marine testing locations are reviewing chemical compounds proven effective against cholera in a test tube. The process of finding a new drug takes between ten to fifteen years. The same process for finding natural drugs takes even longer. But in the case of coibamide and other compounds that could treat diseases like cancer, malaria and leichmaniasis, an effective treatment is well worth the wait.

Immediate and long term benefits to Panama are seen on the economic, infrastructural and environmental level due to the framework of the Panama ICBG program. Scientists on the project are investing in capacity building, and Panama can now boast of its drug discovery program that is internationally recognized. Fortuitously, efforts to preserve nature are in effect promoting development through skills building, providing jobs, and advancing Panama’s environmental and scientific agenda.  

Conserving the biodiversity of this area offers unforeseen benefits to the world of alternative medication and marine science. Humanity cannot afford to allow oceans and marine environments to be compromised. New drugs that could potentially save lives are at risk of going undiscovered and unstudied.

In Panama and around the world, the dual pursuit towards environmental sustainability and protecting human health can coexist. These two crucial issues ensure a healthy and sustainable future for humankind.  Protecting the world’s oceans and coasts environments simply can’t be disregarded byis a responsibility of local governments or the international community. The riches of marine life hold great promise in the field of medical research.

 The photo above was provided by Professor Marcy Balunas and Kim Diver.

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The chairman and managing director of Gujarat Power Corp DJ Pandian said “Gujarat has significant resources in water off its coast, so tidal energy represents a huge opportunity for us.”

However, the Gulf of Kutch is also home to India’s first national marine sanctuary. Harvesting a clean, renewable energy source is exciting but will it overshadow the obligation to preserve biodiversity and marine life in the Gulf of Kutch? Can a renewable energy project be launched without compromising biodiversity in Gujarat?

WaterWideWeb published an article on 31 December 2010 that detailed the water and energy nexus in Gujarat, India. Large quantities of reliable energy are needed to maintain the agricultural sector which fuels money into the economy, but pumping water for agriculture imposes huge environmental costs on the region.

Additional energy resources for farming would have a positive impact on farming practices; poverty and hunger would decrease in the region. The tidal wave project would signal the emergence of a competitive marketplace for clean energy in Asia. In the name of technological advancement, countries will march forth boldly into the arena of clean energy. Ideally, carbon emissions will decrease and that’s a quantifiable value.

Calculating the impact of such a project on marine life is an important variable for investors and other key stakeholders to consider. The Marine National Park in the Gulf of Kutch was established in 1980 to preserve biodiversity in the region. Protecting endangered species and marine life is a priority on the agenda for both local and international communities alike. Navigating these intrinsically linked issues in Gujarat has turned the Atlantis Resources endeavor into a high profile project.

In an article published by the Anchorage Daily News, oceanographer Andrea Copping said “Before we put these power generating devices in the water, we need to know how they will affect the marine environment.” Since the tidal wave project is in such close proximity to the Marine National Park, the instrument design for channeling wave energy is a key consideration.

Electromagnetic fields installed in tidal wave projects may interfere with the natural sensing systems of marine life. Non-invasive devices that are in sync with marine environments do exist. The bioWave ocean-wave energy system was developed by the Australian based Bio-Power systems. These units are mounted on the seabed. There, they are activated by ocean waves.

Since ocean waves are diffuse, the bioWave system operates in a synergistic way to mobilize wave wattage. Ideally, the tidal wave project in Gujarat will incorporate a similar system that does not interrupt the natural habitat or sensing systems of marine animals protected by the Marine National Park.

Watching the tidal wave project in Gujarat unfold will set a precedent for environmentalists, developers and scientists. Collaboration between Atlantis Resources and the marine scientists that are involved with the Marine National Park are critical to maintain the environmental sustainability of the former’s proposed project.

The community of Gujarat is faced with an amazing opportunity to promote a viable energy solution that does not compromise biodiversity. If successful, such a project could turn the world of sustainability on its heels.

In a perfect world, a sound solution to the energy crisis would not interfere with simultaneous efforts to promote the environmental agenda. If achieved, Gujarat will truly exemplify a multi-faceted millennium project that addresses both key issues relevant to developing and industrialized countries across the world.

In Gujarat, the question is not whether clean energy is important. The real issue is the response of local governments to private sector investors that affect regional infrastructure and cultural epicenters in India. Are there regulations on which equipment can be installed for the project? Have private companies consulted with specialists about potential conflicts with the Marine National Park?

Hopefully, energy policies are not at odds with environmental interests. But if they are, the outcome of Gujarat will be a focal point for studying the relationship costs for the decisions made.

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Ideally, water professionals should have access to the same data points at any given time. Then, lobbying for effective water management policies would be based on shared, reliable and transparent data sets.

The Berkeley Water Center (BWC) at the University of California at Berkeley partnered with the Microsoft Company for roughly five years to develop a global eScience water tool . Together, the two entities embarked on a Water Cyberinfrastructure model that has since been automated.

Professor James Hunt, Co-Chair of BWC, highlighted the importance of such a project to WaterWideWeb. “In resource dominated discussions, no one’s talking from the same foundation. They don’t have access to the same data. With this tool, you can start from the same foundation and the analysis tools are transparent.”

At the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, researchers are putting specific data points together in one place, a data cube. Information available via the Water Cyberinfrastructure tool includes hydrological data from the U.S. Geological Survey, information from local agencies in California, meteorological data and more.

Currently, the tool provides key water points about California’s resources but could easily be expanded to include information about all of the United States, assured Hunt. “The Water Cyberinfrastrucutre Project is unique because the synthesis of data from various sources allows users to do what they want compared to other specialized software.”

The role of centralized data sets that collect and generate reports about water information is increasingly important to the world of water, especially in California. Understanding complex water systems and how they change over time is a vital element in efficiently managing water resources.

In the example of the Water Cyberinfrastrucutre Project, a combined effort from the world of academia and the private sector provides valuable data to better understand issues related to water. Increasing demands on existing water and forecasting decreasing amounts of it require specialized and accessible systems such as the Water Cyberinfrastructure Project.  These systems allow scientists to assess the changes that are occurring in California’s watersheds over time.

Adapting to changing climates and appropriately revising current water policy is contingent upon hard facts; coherent environmental legislation can happen if scientists and experts share data in an organized and uniform way.

With the Water Cyberinfrastructure project, the physical and technological sciences are collaborating to ensure a sustainable future. But to make it there, a manageable infrastructure is essential. If the BWC Water Cyberinfrastructure project expands beyond California, it will enable policy makers to implement effective policies about water management that affect the lives of generations to come.

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The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) is in the 16^th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 16) in Cancun, Mexico. Delegates will deliberate international global climate change issues that are inextricably linked to water conservation and energy.

Foerd Ames is the owner of the Ocean Wave Energy Company (OWEC) and a Climate Science Reviewer for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. In a telephone interview Ames told WaterWideWeb, “We need to get these great minds [convened at the COP 16] to hash out solution scenarios to global climate change. We need an alliance of water related renewable energy and climatology”.

The population of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) are up close and personal with the adverse affects of global climate change. Island nations like the Maldives are being submerged under water. People are being displaced by rising sea levels, according to James. “We have an opportunity to use the extra water as fuel”, continued Ames.

As the climate conference in Cancun rolls on through 10 December 2010, delegates will deliberate on international policies of global climate change and the consequences associated with rising sea levels and glacial melt. Rising sea levels and glacial melt are a result of carbon gas emission from developed countries. Are there palpable solutions to the carbon emissions from nuclear, coal, and oil energy?

Ocean waves generate large amounts of energy. Ocean wave energy is a renewable and environmentally sustainable source of power. However, ocean waves are diffuse hence initiatives to channel this energy should be designed in a synergistic way, such that instruments are interconnected to mobilize wattage from the waves.

Ocean and wave projects present various possibilities to the water world. Ames asserts that ocean water can be desalinated, meaning the water can be purified of the salt properties. Desalinated ocean water provides a freshwater source that can be used to attenuate the implications of the global water crisis.

Moreover, splitting the ocean wave molecules into hydrogen and oxygen provides the highly coveted hydrogen that micro and macro scale systems require to function. The hydrogen from ocean waves can replace the nuclear, coal, and oil markets if experts continue to find efficient ways of mobilizing it. Reliance on foreign oil will decline and new markets for energy will emerge.

Ideally, environmentally sustainable energy should be the primary point of supply, forcing nuclear, coal, and oil supplies into the alternative energy solutions category. Ocean wave energy will decrease the carbon footprint of developed countries that can afford investment in this sort of technology. “We really have to embrace several other factors besides lowest cost when considering the future of renewable energy”, continued Ames.

Ultimately chances of reaching the Millennium Development Goal number 7, ensuring environmental sustainability, will be maximized if progress in the area of ocean wave energy is spearheaded. Ocean wave projects will require a monetary investment, but the cost to the environment will make it a worthwhile venture.

Advancements in the field of ocean wave energy are being researched and implemented. Currently, the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum is featuring their triennial Why Design Now exhibition. A segment of the series highlights key design projects that focus on innovative energy projects.

bioWave exhibition at The Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum

The bioWAVE ocean-wave energy system is included in the Why Design Now feature exhibition. It was developed by the Australian based Bio-Power Systems. The bioWAVE system is a series of underwater units mounted to the seabed that are activated by ocean waves. The units are interconnected. Fluctuations in the ocean current are converted to generate energy at the ocean surface which produces electricity.

The bioWAVE units are fashioned to be in sync with the surrounding marine life. Each unit is estimated to produce 2 megawatts of energy. If bioWAVE energy farms are employed, enough clean power could be generated to power utility-scale projects.

Delegates at the climate change conference in Cancun, Mexico are grappling with policy decisions that will shape the future of Least Developed Countries, and the accountability of developed countries with respect to global climate change initiatives. Critical decisions on the future of environmentally sustainable alternatives that reduce carbon gas emissions must be considered behind the closed doors of the conference.

Will these decisions include energy alternatives such as ocean-wave power and other water generated sources of clean energy? The world must patiently wait for sound policies that are enforceable and which hold developed countries accountable for their energy decisions. If developed countries are going to be held accountable for the future of energy and global climate change response, advancements in clean energy that establish a new global market, not contingent upon foreign oil is a viable option.

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Civil and environmental engineers are advancing techniques in water management. Sharing best practices in project implementation is crucial to the future of sustainable water projects in both the industrialized and developing world. How are environmental engineers tackling the mounting social issues that surround the water demands that exceed the supply of it?

Dr. Pedro Alvarez is the George R. Brown Professor and Chair of the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department of Rice University. In a telephone interview, Alvarez told WaterWideWeb, “Ensuring reliable and affordable access to safe water is one of the biggest issues that we face in the twenty first century.”

Making clean water accessible in the developing world requires an increase in efficiency in water infrastructure and a decrease in materials and energy used for completing projects. Environmental engineers are developing innovative mechanisms to meet the growing water demands with several factors in mind.

Adjustments to existing and new water systems call for technical simplicity. In order for water systems to successfully supply a community with water, the framework should be uncomplicated so that maintenance to the system can be provided without requiring assistance of experts.

The social-cultural acceptability of new water initiatives plays a part in the success of particular engineering endeavors. Reframing the way people think about the significance of water and the means of acquiring it are the next steps in innovative water provision methods.

For example, implementing water recycling paradigms in developed countries may be met with resistance. Individuals in different cultures and social classes may oppose the trend of treating waste water and then recycling it for drinking water.

Information about water engineering projects should also be disseminated so that end users may understand the framework of water programs and share the technology with others at the local level. In this way, the project can be maintained from within the community. If the water system needs repair, local users can fix the problem without forgoing access to water for long spells until an expert arrives to remedy it.

“Technology is not enough. Responding to increasing water demands requires a multi-disciplinary effort that includes education and a sanitation plan”, continued Alvarez. Reliance on unconventional water sources and treatment plants are the next steps in global water sustainability.

“The single-most important engineering contribution of the twentieth century was treating water.” In the twenty first century, engineers must extend and enhance that contribution to meet growing water needs.

Digging water wells, installing chlorinators and bio-sand filters are proven methods of supplying safe water in the developing world, yet these are not sufficient to save the lives of 4100 children who die on a daily basis due to lack of clean drinking water . Clean water will decrease the mortality rate of water borne diseases, lengthen life expectancy and improve quality of life.

So what are we waiting for?

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Currently, 800 million people live in water stress. By 2025, 3 billion people will live under water stress. Advancements in water technology are underway to address the water scarcity problem that could cripple economies, stunt development efforts and lead to an increase in mortality rates across the globe. If the problem of water scarcity is not tackled pragmatically and swiftly, the water shortage could lead to political unrest and food shortages in the developing and industrialized world.

Conceptual breakthroughs in megawatershed development by Earth Water Global (EWG) assert that water can in fact be extracted from stone. Technological innovations developed by Earth Water Global prove that megawatersheds beneath the Earth’s surface exist and can be tapped to provide clean water.

EWG developed a Megawatershed Paradigm (MP) based on geological models of the Earths’ surface. According to the MP, fractures and fissures in the Earth’s bedrock formed as a result of continental shift and collision over time. These collisions of the Earth’s bedrock result in mountain formations and underground channels that store water regionally and transmit the water across miles of terrain.

At high altitudes, water seeps into these fractures and fissures from snow and rainfall. The gravitational force of the Earth pulls the water into underground watersheds. The megawatersheds naturally replenish from precipitation, rainfall and snow. EWG coins this discovery the “science of finding water”.

EWG estimates that 80 percent of the world’s precipitation happens at high altitudes. Measuring water at these high altitudes is incredibly difficult. Water catchments of precipitation, rain and snowfall using the EWG framework could multiply groundwater resources in multiples of 10 times 100 on a global scale.

Innovative techniques implemented by EWG offer a sustainable solution to the global water crisis. The EWG “science of water” model could provide access to hundreds of millions of gallons of water that seep into the Earth surface daily.

Interestingly, modern scientific analysis has proved that extracting water from a stone is indeed possible. Using the groundwater held in the Earth’s fissures will facilitate fulfillment of the 2015 Millennium Development Goals. Certainly, taking advantage of this water technology will decrease the deaths of water-borne diseases in developing countries which are now at 80 percent.

As the world population continues to increase, measures to provide natural resources such as water must be maximized as well. Resolving the global water crisis calls for a multifaceted endeavor from governments, municipalities and water programs, including those such as EWG. Comprehensive methods of combating the water crisis should include scientifically proven paradigms as well as sound methodologies applied across time.

The water crisis is driving scientists and experts to search for water in the world’s most unlikely places even that of the Earth’s stone.

Please watch the documentary on the work of Earth Water Global here: Documentary

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Save a Water Well Save Lives

The Politics of Water in Australia

Repairing Water Wells in Africa When the Well Runs Dry

The photo above is a UN photo taken by Tim McKulka