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Yes, Utah is in the fifth year of an extended drought. And yes, citizens are being called upon to conserve the precious resource and use it wisely. From a broader perspective, though, our water woes pale in comparison to other regions in the world.
As food for thought, and a catalyst for appreciating the general availability of good water, consider some sobering facts published by the United Nations Development Programme:
-"Of the more than six billion people in the world, at least 1.2 billion do not have access to safe drinking water."
-"More than 2.2 million people, primarily in developing countries, die each year from diseases caused by polluted water and filthy sanitary conditions."
-"Every day, diarrhoeal diseases cause some 6,000 deaths, mostly among children under five."
Fortunately, significant efforts are underway in many developing nations to improve the availability of water.
Meantime, as people here in Utah struggle with questions of whether there’ll be enough water to keep lush lawns green, it is sobering to realize millions of people in the world spend many of their waking hours finding water to drink.
Even in the midst of drought, Utahns are blessed with good water. From a worldview, KSL believes it is a resource to be appreciated and used wisely.
