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What is the Rest of the World Doing to Save Water?

You’re probably aware of the water saving initiatives that are taking place in your country or local community, whether that is in the form of a hosepipe ban or the promotion of water recycling. However, water saving is a global issue that everyone can do something about.
What is the rest of the world doing to save water? Can any of these ideas inspire your own water saving initiatives?

Corporate Initiatives

In India, the bunds that surround fields used for crops have been increased in height by as much as 22 centimetres. Prior to doing this, a lot of rainwater was lost to run off areas where nothing was growing. Today, this initiative means that 95% of the rainfall in some areas is retained and runs directly to crops such as rice and tea. This leads to a direct saving in the mains supply water that has previously been used to maintain these important crops that bring a lot of money to the country.
This initiative, as well as others to collect and reuse as much rainwater as possible, is sponsored by Nestle.

Increasing Awareness of Water Footprints

You’re probably tired of hearing about reducing your carbon footprint, but the next few years are set to see us becoming ever more aware of our water footprint.
For example, right now, the cup of coffee you’re drinking might seem like just that cup, but it takes 37 gallons of water to grow the beans to make that one cup. More organizations and charities are starting to look at virtual water footprints, and at how we as individuals take responsibility for our own.

Water saving in the future isn’t just going to be about turning off taps at home; we’re all going to have to start looking at the bigger picture.

Water Use in Farming

Crop production is another huge issue on the global agenda, and one that relies on water. Droughts in recent years have seen numerous crops fail around the world, particularly in the southern United States, which in turn pushes up prices and makes life harder for an already economically squeezed global population.

Farmers are now saving as much water as possible in huge water butts and tanks, so that they can deal with drought easier and not be solely reliant on the weather.
It is impossible to understate the importance of water saving initiatives around the world. What can you do to take these ideas and translate them into how you live your life?