Changing the Way the World Thinks About Water – One Drop At a Time

ANAHEIM, Calif. – For the longest time, people have taken water for granted, according to Peter Gleick, the co-founder and president of the Pacific Institute for Studies in Development, Environment & Security based in Oakland, Calif.

“Some rivers don’t flow to the sea anymore – climate change has become a real problem,” he says. “One of the most significant challenges on our climate is water. Without water, the Earth wouldn’t be what it is.”

These tough times are made even tougher by a difficult climate – economically, politically and ecologically. “There are many dimensions to the water crisis – from issues of water scarcity and contamination to the challenges of producing food and goods and services using less water, as well as the social and political challenges of moving and treating water,” he explains.

But there is hope, Gleick says. As irrigation contractors today, “you’re at the cutting edge,” he points out. And he attempted to shed some light on the need for new approaches to meet requirements for safe drinking water, adequate sanitation, agriculture and environmental protection in his keynote address on Nov. 3 at the Irrigation Association’s Irrigation Show 2008. Water planners and policymakers must find solutions that balance social, economic and ecological issues, Gleick believes.