Sunday, October 12, 2008

Nation & World

USN Current Issue

A World of Thirst

Poor sanitation. Pollution. Wasteful irrigation. The planet's freshwater supply is terribly managed

By Bret Schulte
Posted 5/27/07
Page 4 of 4

The world, it seems, is drowning in water problems, but experts say there are also reasons for hope. New technology and practices like drip irrigation show promise. In India, entrepreneurs are making money with pay-and-use pit latrines that are cheap and sanitary. South Africa is making a massive financial commitment to deliver basic water services to its poor, even writing a guarantee of a human right to water into its constitution.

Water expert Rogers believes technology breakthroughs are rapidly making the expensive prospect of desalination-cleaning salty or brackish water enough to be drinkable-cheap enough for even the poorest cities of Africa. Others believe the planet's crust holds far more fresh water than previously imagined. Robert Bisson, a commercial geologist who founded a water exploration company called EarthWater Global, employs the same methods used to find oil, much to the delight of clients in Trinidad and Tobago, and elsewhere.

"We have a moral and fiscal responsibility here," Gleick says. "We have the brains, we have the money ... to solve water supply and sanitation problems, but we're not meeting those responsibilities." And for millions of people, the luxury of time is evaporating.

advertisement

advertisement

Special Report: 1957

A closer look into the year of Sputnik, Little Rock, African Independence, and more.

The Secrets of the Civil War

An estimated 50,000 books have been written about the conflict, but there are still some mysteries left to be solved.

NEWSLETTER

Sign up today for the latest headlines from U.S. News and World Report delivered to you free.

RSS FEEDS

Personalize your U.S. News with our feeds of blogs and breaking news headlines.

USNews MOBILE

U.S. News daily briefings are also available on your mobile device.

Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our Terms and Conditions of Use and Privacy Policy.