What could be more empowering, mesmerizing, and catalyzing than water? We need it for almost everything and it exists everywhere: in our soil, air, rivers, glaciers, clouds and trees. It is not always visible, but it is always there. And that is a good thing, because without water, life would cease to exist. And it is not only the availability of water that is crucial, but also its quality. Dirty water makes you sick and kills you. In short, water is necessary for all that we do and aspire to.
We rely on water, but water also relies on us. We not only must handle it with care, but also understand where our water depends on, where our rain comes from, and secure the foundation of the water in nature to protect the water cycle. Through bad land-use management, planning, and the destruction of our ecosystems, we exacerbate depletion and pollution of the global supply of clean and fresh water—thus destabilizing the water-cycle, accelerating climate change, increasing social inequality, and undermining everything we want to achieve.
While the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation is recognized by all countries, implementation is very limited. Yet, the water cycle shows that countries and regions are interdependent beyond individual water needs and the fact that what happens upstream influences the availability and quality of water downstream. We now know that the green water flows from plants, soil and trees, connecting countries and continents through water vapor flows that define the importance of global cooperation. Water connects biodiversity and climate change, and we find the value of the green and blue water in every Sustainable Development Goal.
These interdependencies are complex, but also create opportunities. Water can be a ‘connector’ between interests, cultures, nations and global agendas. The water cycle is a universal common good. It is in the interest of all people and the planet to restore and stabilize this hydrological cycle.
Wave near Sirmilik National Park, adjacent to the proposed Tallurutiup Imanga marine protected area. Nunavut, Canada, 2024.
Photography By Pamela EA
RESEARCH
Definition editing by Sorah Park
Research by Estelle Ngoumtsa
Fact-checking by Hailey Basiouny
November 7, 2024
• Water is a transparent liquid that makes up the world’s streams, lakes, oceans, and rain. It is also necessary for all animal and plant life, as it is the major component of the fluids found in organisms. When we zoom into a water molecule, we can see that one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms are connected by covalent bonds.18 Water makes all life on Earth possible and comes in various forms (liquid, gas, and solid).
• Liquid water flows from our faucets and into our oceans, turning into vapor and evaporating into the air, forming clouds and fog. The water that rises travels back to Earth as rain or snow, and this cycle is constantly repeating.19
• In the Arctic water cycle, freshwater spreads from arctic rivers into the Arctic Ocean by winds and ocean currents. The warmest water in the Arctic travels from the Atlantic Ocean between Greenland and Svalbard, entering near the surface, then sinking below the lighter, fresh, cold Arctic surface water. Fresher Pacific water joins this circulation when it enters the Arctic through the Bering Strait,
settling just above the dense Atlantic water. Research shows us that sea-ice melt exposes dark, ice-free water, which stores heat in the ocean as opposed to white ice, which reflects more of the sun’s energy back into space. More exposed water opens up opportunities for wind to mix up the different ocean layers, and allow for more subsurface heat to get in contact with sea ice, creating a cycle of warming and melting.20 This feedback loop is causing sea levels to rise and disrupting ecosystems worldwide.
• Water is a necessity, yet 2.2 billion people in the world lack access to safe water, and more than 1 million people die annually from water, sanitation and hygiene-related diseases. A child dies from a water-related disease every 2 minutes. The water crisis is a health crisis, and it is the main way in which we will feel the impact of the climate crisis. By 2025, half of the world’s population is projected to live in water-stressed regions, with low-income families bearing the brunt of temperature extremes, floods, and droughts.21 To support these communities, access to safe water and sanitation solutions can build climate resiliency in the face of a polycrisis.
