Water on Moon - Drought on Earth...

  •   Wed, Sep 30 2009
  •   By Adolf Washington

Sep 30, 2009

Even as the world applauds India’s discovery of water on the Moon, 23 million East Africans in 7 countries enter the 5th year of severe drought.  Over 200 dead animals were recently found near a dried up water source in Wajir in northern Kenya while human beings there are surviving on just 2 litres of water a day, less water than a toilet flush. One in every six children in Somalia is acutely malnourished while in Ethiopia over 13.7 million people are walking in the shadow of death because of hunger.

About 1.1 billion people living on the globe already suffer from a serious lack of fresh water. By 2025 this number will increase to 3 billion – over 40 percent of the entire global population. Calculated predictions indicate that a crisis will occur during 2025-2030 where over 50 percent of the world’s population will face a serious shortage of water.

The global water crisis will first hit Africa, the Middle East, South and South-East Asia. China and India (that discovered water on the moon) will start to suffer next, from acute water shortage, despite the two countries having natural fresh water reserves.

Future wars and conflicts will be over water. We are already seeing a bit of it between states in our own very own country.

Making a trip to the moon for a few drops of water is going to be a distant dream. 

We must save the earth from its depleting water tables and prevent the pollution of water bodies. Water existed before we did. “The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters” (Genesis 1:2)

Spiritually speaking, God created the waters before He created us, as the primary provision for us. We have both a social and spiritual obligation to protect the water resources of the earth from pollution or depletion.

We are already paying a price for water for our own carelessness.  Decades ago, there was no bottled ‘mineral’ water in shops.  There was water everywhere and we thought it was safe.  Whether for convenience or for safety, we are buying bottled water today.  There will come a time when even money cannot buy this precious ‘commodity’, if each of us as individuals do not make an effort to save the earth from the impending water crisis.

One’s effort can begin from closing a dripping tap to harvesting rain water in our very own campus or using water as frugally as possible to charitably provide for the thirsty generation of the future.
 
(Fr adolf washington is President of the Indian Catholic Press Association and PRO, Bangalore Archdiocese)

Fr Adolf Washington - Archives:
By Adolf Washington
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Comment on this article

  • Peter Mendonca, USA

    Thu, Oct 01 2009

    Hats off to Fr. Adolf Washington. The Church requires priests like this who can reflect about the reality of life. Such matter should also be put in sermons instead of preaching the same old stories and boring people. Congrats to the Priest Fr. Adolf Washington for writing such a brilliant piece.

  • Vijay, Bangalore

    Wed, Sep 30 2009

    Very nice article. Thanks Fr. Adolf.

  • Karun Joseph, Manglore

    Thu, Oct 01 2009

    Yediyurappa Got it !

  • Joe Britto, Nakre/Bangalore

    Wed, Sep 30 2009

    A classic article by Fr.Adolf Washington Experts have predicted that by the year 2025 the Indian population would have overtaken the Chinese population and there will be water war. In Australia and many other countries for example the authorities have outlined stages for water supply and the public follow certain rules. Example Stage 4 would mean that water supply is extremely critical and watering of gardens and cleaning of cars should be avoided. Even whilst bathing they have timers which will signal that the bath time limit is up. Such awareness is yet to be seen here in India and it is necessary that people are educated to conserve water in every possible way. There are several ways in which water is being reclaimed and the billions spent on wasteful space experiments could be diverted to practical benefits and for reclaiming water.

  • A.S.Mathew, U.S.A.

    Wed, Sep 30 2009

    While millions of people are suffering from the lack of basic things like water and food, both the rich and poor nations of the world are burning millions of dollars to find new objects in other planets. This is pure insanity and total lack of compassion. How long this drama of ego will last?

  • Louis Fernandes, Belthangady

    Wed, Sep 30 2009

    The population in India has grown beyond control . The govt should take measures to bring down the population. The poor in mind people are responsible for overpopulating the country. I hope better sense prevails upon the poor citizens to bring down the population

  • Leslie, Bangalore

    Wed, Sep 30 2009

    Wouldnt it be better if we use the Word of God to draw people to God than advise them to worry more on worldly issues.

  • Tanzil, karkala/oman

    Wed, Sep 30 2009

    Very good article by Mr. Adolf Washington, waste of money why cant we spend some money for those hungers god has given apart of those poor’s hungers wealth to us now its our responsibility to care of those hungers dear all readers come forward keep at least 2% of your monthly income to those poor I don’t think its impossible to anybody(actually i followed one of best freind now i am keeping 2% of evry month salary to poors )

  • rajesh shetty, Mangalore,Pune

    Wed, Sep 30 2009

    Very good article & thanks Mr. Adolf for reminding me the importance and the value of water.

  • Ahmed, Mangalore

    Wed, Sep 30 2009

    Very good article by Mr. Adolf Washington. While spending billions of dollars on space research, we also need to look after the basic needs of humans around us.


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