Given the recent record-breaking drought and heat our state has experienced, water—how much we have and how clean it is—has never been more relevant. We are at an important intersection right now, where precious resources like water meet humankind and our growing needs. Where do we stand at this intersection? When it comes to water, we actually have a crystal ball, and it shows us plenty.
Here are three statistics to keep in mind:
- 97 percent of all water on the planet is salty
- 2.5 percent is locked in ice or deep underground
- The remaining half-percent is sustaining the planet
This is interesting to note: There is the same amount of water on Earth today as thousands of years ago. Water, in other words, is a fixed asset. Meanwhile, the global population is slated to jump from seven billion to nine billion in the next 50 years, while the population of Texas—which currently stands at 25 million—is expected to jump to 50 million within the next 50 years.
With this in mind, the question then becomes clear: What do we do? In Texas, the answer is clear. We have to use the water that we have more efficiently, and we have to implement strategies that will ensure better water quality. The methods we use to accomplish these two goals will require large scale collaboration and a concerted effort on behalf of all our state’s citizens. We know what we need to do—it’s just a matter of doing it.
There are several strategies we can work on right now to help guarantee that in 50 years our state has safe, reliable water. The most obvious one demands full funding of the Texas Water Plan. This plan is our roadmap and recognizes some important facts: It acknowledges that our state will double in population by 2060 and recognizes that water conservation is vital to our future. The plan also sets an aggressive target of 23 percent of our future water supply coming from conservation. But the price tag is steep—$53 billion. Add in the fact that the plan is thus far completely unfunded and there is no comprehensive game plan for achieving the conservation numbers—that’s a big gamble for nearly a quarter of our water supply.
How do we meet the needs of an ever-growing population with a fixed supply?
Find out this week on Wednesday evening, Nov. 30, at 6:00 pm when I speak at the James A. Baker III Public Policy Institute on “Water is Not an Option: Texas’ Broken Promise to Future Generations.” Learn about the global importance of water and find out about strategies that can enhance our state’s long-term, sustainable supply of fresh, clean water
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
As state director, Laura Huffman oversees all aspects of The Nature Conservancy of Texas. She speaks regularly on subjects including freshwater protection, the Gulf of Mexico, conservation easements and other pressing environmental issues. She is blogging at the invitation of Ron Sass, the Baker Institute’s fellow in climate change.