Water is the ultimate source of life and yet many of us take it for granted. Shockingly 1 in 8 people don’t have access to clean, drinking water. 6000 children die every day from preventable diseases associated with poor hygiene and unsafe water. The World Bank estimates that women and children spend 40 billion hours walking to the nearest water source. Next time we take a sip of H2o, we should remember how lucky we are.
The harsh reality is this: fresh water is scarce and will become more so in the future. Currently, 97 per cent of the water on earth is salt water and the remaining three per cent is fresh, with less than one per cent available for direct human use. According to the United Nations, this fresh water dearth means that future wars will be fought over water, just as they are over oil today. UN studies estimate that 30 nations will have a serious water shortage by 2025 and 18 of them are in the Middle East and North Africa and include Egypt, Somalia, and Yemen. “Water scarcity is an issue exacerbated by demographic pressures, climate change and pollution,” says Ignacio Saiz, the director of Centre for Economic and Social Rights, a social justice group.
In an ideal world, everyone should be guaranteed access to clean water. However, the inconvenient truth is that greedy, profit-making water brands are fighting over precious natural water resources, in order to bottle the H20 for profit. This means locals in poor communities who are living below the poverty line, will no longer be able to drink nearby groundwater. As a result, millions will die of thirst.
The great news is that as conscious consumers, together we can make major difference to this global water crisis. After all, we have a choice as to what water we do and don’t drink. You can choose to boycott greedy, inhumane water brands and drink those in line with your values.
One of my favourite ethical water brands is Voss. Firstly, this Norwegian company acknowledges that there is a global water crisis, and instead of exploiting the fragile situation, the then CEO of Voss Norway set up Voss Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing access to clean water to communities in Sub-Saharan Africa.
“At Voss Foundation, we view access to clean water and hygiene as an engine for growth,” explains Kara Gerson, the Executive Director of Voss Foundation. “By following up with our partners for years after implementation, we have been able to see the ripple effect of our efforts and the impact on all areas, especially women’s empowerment. While an entire community benefits from our work, it is women and children who see the biggest change because, traditionally, water has been considered a women’s responsibility. When we are able to facilitate access, women and girls save hours of backbreaking water carrying during which they were vulnerable to attack. That new-found time and security, coupled with hours gained back from no longer having to care for family members stricken by water-borne illnesses, more healthy days themselves, allows women and girls to pursue their own education and income-generating activities.”
When it comes to health benefits, Voss is highly alluring. This artesian water comes from one of the world’s purest sources of water – Norwegian spring waters – making the taste unbelievably fresh. Imagine a virgin aquifer (shielded for centuries under ice and rock) in the untouched wilderness of Norway – this is where Voss is sourced.
The fact that Voss water can be purchased in glass bottles is also appealing. Plastic bottles are highly controversial. Did you know that most plastic bottles contain Bisphenol A (aka BPA), a synthetic chemical that mimics estrogen and has a toxic effect on humans. Phthalates are additional chemicals in plastic and are linked to developmental and reproductive problems. Plus, numerous studies have proved that if you leave a plastic water bottle out in the sun, it becomes carcinogenic.
While Voss water costs more than regular bottled water, personally I think it’s a small price to pay. We wouldn’t think twice about spending more cash on a bigger TV screen, so why not on the planet’s most valuable commodity?
For more information go to www.vossfoundation.org
To get Voss delivered to your office or home (in the UAE) click here
Stay healthy,
