Blue Gold: Fight for life

The following blog was submitted by Hyun Sik Chu, a graduate student in FST, as part of the requirements for GRAD 5414 Water for Health Seminar Interdisciplinary Seminar. This course examines emerging interdisciplinary issues related to the chemistry, microbiology, engineering and health aspects of drinking water. 

According to the United Nations, Water Security is: 

“the capacity of a population to safeguard sustainable access to adequate quantities of acceptable quality water for sustaining livelihoods, human well-being, and socio-economic development, for ensuring protection against water-borne pollution and water-related disasters, and for preserving ecosystems in a climate of peace and political stability.”[5] 

It is commonly acknowledged that water is a public resource that is freely available to people who need it. However, that is no longer the case, as shown in the “Blue Gold: World Water War” by Sam Bozzo. We live in the time where water has become a valuable commodity than rather than a public resource.

We all acknowledge that water is essential for the survival of human beings. Most people can agree that something so necessary should be available to everyone equally and freely. However, the biggest problem is that there is only a limited quantity available for human consumption [1]. Only 1.69% of total water is available as freshwater, which has led to the social inequalities based on the accessibility to freshwater.