Page 7 - Water Every Drop Counts

In Christianity, as in all other
faiths, water has a cleansing
purpose. The Great Flood
caused by God was to rid
the earth of all corruption
and evil in man and only
preserve Noah and his family
along with a pair from each
of the animals. Water forms
an indispensable part of all
Christian rituals like baptism,
blessings, dedications,
exorcisms and burials.

Every era has been shaped
by its response to the
water challenge of its time.

With the advent of settled farming, Water is life. It’s the briny broth of our origins,
evolution and glory of civilizations has the pounding circulatory system of the world.
been inextricably linked to control and We stake our civilizations on the coasts and
manipulation of water. Advent of cheap mighty rivers. Our deepest dread is having too
and abundant fresh water was one of little or too much.
the growth drivers of the modern steam – Barbara Kingsolver
powered industrial era.

Water : Through the years
Before 19 Century 19 Century
th
th
12,000 yrs. ago Hunter-gatherers continually return to fertile river valleys Mid 1800s Fecal contamination of surface water causes severe
7,000 yrs. ago Water shortages spur humans to invent irrigation health problems in some major North American
6,000 yrs. ago Ancient Sanskrit writing recommends water treatment, such as filtration cities.
through charcoal, exposing to sunlight, boiling and straining 1854 Cholera outbreak in England kills hundreds.
4,000 yrs. ago First elaborate system of sewage disposal & drainage and flush toilet 1858 “Year of the Great Stink” in London, due to sewage and
made in the Island of Crete. wastes in river Thames
2,500 yrs. ago Roman aqueducts carry 1.2 billion litres of fresh water a day over 57 1877 Louis Pasteur states that microorganisms spread
miles to the city. Aqueducts also known to exist in Persia (Iran), India, disease.
Egypt and other middle eastern countries. Late 1800s - early 1900
1,100 yrs. ago Drought ends Mayan civilization. Dams became popular as a water management tool

20 Century 21 Century
th
st
1900s The green revolution strengthens human dependency on irrigation for agriculture 2003 In December 2003, the United Nations General Assembly
World War II Water quality impacted by industrial and agricultural chemicals proclaimed the period 2005-2015 as International Decade
1956 Minamata disease, disease due to mercury poisoning of water, first discovered in for Action ‘Water for Life’.
Minamata city in Kumamoto prefecture, Japan 2005 The International decade “Water for Life” officially started
1972 Clean Water Act passed in the US; humans recognize need to protect water on March 22, 2005.
1993 The UN General Assembly designates March 22 as the World Water Day thus
recognizing the importance of water to health, environmental conservation, food
security, and international relations.

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