Outreach The Water’s Edge Presents: Dr. Peter Gleick on Water in the 21st Century: New Thinking for a Sustainable Future

The demand for Dr. Peter Gleick, a MacArthur fellow, member of the National Academy of Sciences, author of the definitive, biennial review of water, The World’s Water, and president and cofounder of the California-based Pacific Institute, is strong — as strong as his commitment to addressing the connections among water and health, human rights, climate change, privatization and international conflict. One of the world’s foremost experts on water, he advises heads of state and policy makers around the globe. Dr. Gleick will be our guest speaker at The Water’s Edge on October 7th.
 
Shortly before he boarded a plane for a series of meetings in places as far flung as Florida, Nairobi, and England, Gleick, whose think tank produces research and policy analyses on critical issues including water, took the time to chat with us about his thinking on Water in the 21st Century, the subject of his talk for the Stroud™ Water Research Center’s 8th annual fundraising gala this fall. The following is an excerpt from that conversation.

What will it take to provide clean water for the world’s people in this century? “While there is no single, silver bullet,” says Gleick, “there are many things we can do to attain that goal, provided we have the will.” Despite the challenges we face, Gleick remains both a pragmatist and an optimist. “We can achieve a much more positive future for water,” he maintains, “if we simply think about what we want and are willing to take the steps to move in the right direction.”

RETHINKING OUR SUPPLY OF WATER
In the 20th century, developed nations focused on building the physical infrastructure required to capture, store, treat and transport water, including dams, reservoirs, aqueducts and treatment plants. The emphasis this century—if we’re to effectively manage our water resources—will be decidedly different. We must rethink everything from water allocations to water pricing, to water management and conservation, says Gleick. We need to focus on smarter use, use that is aligned with the actual need.

“The quality of the water should match the use of that water,” he states. “Do we need to use potable water to flush our toilets? Must we really apply treated water to our golf courses?” The answer, of course, is no. There are smarter choices and there is no better time than now to implement them.

To create a sustainable future will require that we approach our water challenges with the understanding that water is at the center of all we do. It’s inextricably linked, says Gleick, to everything from our food and culture, to energy and the economy, to international security and climate change, and to our health and education. It continues to have an enormous impact on gender, as in many cultures women are denied access to both education and work because of their essential role in providing the family with its water, an effort that can require daily trips of several hours to distant sources.

Therefore, individuals and institutions—both local and national, as well as the international agencies of influence—must rethink their respective roles, responsibilities, and the strategies to ensure that the fundamental human right of universal access to basic water services is met. And all must acknowledge this obligation as a priority, while moving in parallel to address that challenge with a variety of solutions that account for these very important connections.

THE CONCEPT OF PEAK WATER
Water is a limited resource; unlike oil, there is no substitute for it. The amount of water on our planet has not changed since time began. If we continue to tap it at rates faster than the water table can replenish itself, the well will literally dry up. This is one aspect of Gleick’s concept of Peak Water. The second concept relates to the ecosystem.

How we use water must also consider the ecological harm of using too much. “There is a point where removing more water actually causes more ecological harm and more damage to society than it provides benefits,” says Gleick, pointing to the plight of China, India, and even some parts of the United States.

He notes that the 1,450-mile Colorado River is a shared resource on which seven states and parts of Mexico depend to grow their food and to fuel their economies. But the river, which has ten dams to block its path, is being siphoned of its flow at such a rate that it no longer consistently reaches the ocean. For those communities it serves in its lower reaches, the river has all but run dry.

“We have enough water,” Gleick says, "if we allocate it fairly and use it wisely."

THE NEW ECONOMY OF WATER
Gleick believes that there are pros and cons with regard to the privatization of water—the transfer of some or all of the assets or operations of public water systems into private hands and he acknowledges the benefits this approach can have in providing basic water services to the world’s poorest. However, “water has vital social, cultural and ecological roles to play that cannot be protected by purely market forces,” he explains, arguing that governments should establish public ownership or control of water sources, and that oversight of privatization agreements is essential.

His analysis of both successful and failed attempts to privatize water have led him to develop basic principles and standards for privatization contracts, designed to protect basic human needs and to ensure that water remains both an economic and a social good.

THE WATER’S EDGE
This year’s event will be hosted on October 7th at 6:00 pm at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. Save the date; details will follow.

Links:
For more information about Dr. Peter Gleick, go to:
http://www.pacinst.org/about_us/staff_board/gleick/

For more information on the Pacific Institute, go to:
http://www.pacinst.org/

Watch for details about the event and how to reserve your seat or table at:
http://www.stroudcenter.org/calendar.htm#Waters_Edge

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