Published by XPrize Manager
Water is an extremely precious, important source. It is used for a great variety of things - drinking, cleaning, agriculture, energy production... Water is simply inevitable in our day-to-day lives!
Since it is finite, it has great value and we should use the resources as wisely as possible.
Tell us what you think is the value of water!
To understand the value of water, we need to stop trying just with one approach (discipline). The only way to protect and make a good administration of water is based on a multidisciplinary approach.
Published by Paul Villegas, Pontifical Catholic University of Peru
specifically speaking, water is the most important natural resource that mother earth is uniquely inhabiting. Research for life in other planets is being premised upon the presence or absence of water as a final indicator of life..This surely proves the key significance of water to life's existence and survival. However, the values of water should be distinguished between its withdrawals and consumption this is because water can be used simultaneously or repeatedly thereby creating complementarity and competition.
Published by Carlo Atum, Researcher and Distributor at EcoloBlue
Carbon based organic life is not possible without water on this earth. We do have continuous requirement of potable water, industrial water and water for irrigation and it shall remain so. We shall also need to conserve and retain the natural balance in sea waters for marine life as our food requirements shall keep growing and our dependence on marine life shall also increase. So water is as valuable as its Oxygen and Carbon diaoxide...No life without these three main molecules on this earth. Water should be valued at ten times more than its lowest value in any country...
Published by LOKESH PUNJ, A B.TECH. Agr Engg, PGDM-SPA IIMA (1977-9) 25 yrs in Water Piping / Irrigation/Infra Projects
In India we have a saying "Jal hi Jeevan" which means water is life. So just value it!!
Published by Biplab Ketan Paul, Ashoka Fellow and Social Entrepreneur
One thing I've heard is that if we don't take care of our water, nothing will replace it. If we run out of fossil fuels, we might struggle for a bit until renewable sources take over, if we run out of water we're done.
Published by Mitch Hansen, E-Marketing Specialist at AquiSense Technologies
There is no value for water, just like there there is no value for air. Water is a precious think for our existence on this earth. Actually, with the global civilization, we realized that water become rare or not drinkable in certain cases. Human being have to be aware of that problem and act immediately if we want to prevent crisis around the world.
Published by ABBOSOUKA YOUNOUSSA, Intern
The value of water cannot be measured. However, human civilization has done just this and created a world where the most important resource has been commoditized. Until we change our perspective on supply and access, we are predestined to fail in protecting our water resources.
Published by Hans Hummel, Lonza Inc. - Global Marketing Manager
Water is an invaluable resource as is air to all the living beings. In most of the developing countries, the water price is paid only for the one supplied through networks of pipes but the extraction of groundwater is not monitored at all which is the devaluation of the resource. Bottled water and beverage companies are elevating the prices of water!
For we being the generation, who is paying the price for water without knowing its value, water has zero value for most consumer, as they pay price in regular time intervals in the form of money.
Published by Sabina Khatri, Ms.
I could readily say that we don't value our water. If we do, how could you possibly explain the way we treat our water resources. On a more serious note, this is a difficult question to answer. Standard economic/monetary tools are not totally adequate to value water. This is where new tools and methodologies need to be developed that can take into consideration the tangibles as well as the intangibles, such as ecosystem services and recreational values that water provides.
Published by Ashantha Goonetilleke, Professor, Water/Environmental Engineering at Queensland University of Technology
The value of water ought to be allied with local circumstances: affordability, availability, future challenges and how pricing may affect demand.
The price of water ought to be at a level that incentivises each user to use it in a sustainable manner. So, sustainably priced water works best when users know how much water they are using and are fully informed about how they can use less.
[1] Domestic. 3% of household income is the maximum. This can be brought about via social tariffs where needed.
[2] Municipal. At a level that envourages municipalities to integrate demand management at all levels of water use and reuse.
[3] Industrial. Incentives to both minimise waterr consumption and effluent generation.
[4] Irrigation. Over-watering crops inhibits yields. In many countries, the scope to use efficient irrigation techniques along with soil moisture and weather monitoring to ensure that the right amount of water is used at the right time.
[5] Utilities. tariffs should cover at least 130% of O+M costs. The surplus is used to fund capital expenditure and service extension, blended with other funding sources.
David Lloyd Owen
Published by David Lloyd Owen, Envisager - Managing Director
I have lived in CA my whole life, and honestly find this question difficult to answer.
For me, while I want the value of water to be based on my experience with it (swimming, fishing), I think it really is about how much I would pay as a consumer. I have two places I immediately go...
1) CA Water Utility Bills - over the past 15yrs from Berkeley to Sacrament to Walnut Creek... water bills are unclear, and don't provide much / any water quality info. At least not the ones I've seen. Also, water is cheap. In Sacramento we originally had a flat water bill, so usage was not connected with price.
2) Bottled Water - there used to be an purpose for it, now it's WAY too much. It's insane how cheap it's gotten. and while I often take a the sustainability component has gone out the door. If people only knew how much waste was included in a $.25 bottle of water.
Anyways, looking forward to the conversation and wanted to get the party started! :)
-adam
Published by Adam Pettler, Open Innovation Leader, Brita / Clorox