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| Em uma região naturalmente árida, a seca de dois anos combinada com a má gestão dos recursos hídricos piora a situação do Rio Eufrates / In an arid region naturally, the two-year drought combined with poor management of water resources worsens the situation of the Euphrates River |
Uma boa matéria no Washington Post para desmistificar algumas ideias correntes sobre a questão da água. Utilizando parte da sequência de tópicos do próprio autor faço algumas notas:
1 . Nós estamos ficando sem água.
A água não sumirá, claro, apenas escasseará em certas bacias hidrográficas devido a (a) possibilidade de câmbios climáticos e/ou (b) aumento do consumo desta devido a melhoria da qualidade de vida, i.e., aumento da renda.
2 . A água engarrafada é melhor do que água da torneira.
Esta afirmação realmente procede, mas sem histeria. A questão é que não temos tido suficiente preocupação em relação a isto no Brasil, mesmo porque há comunidades que sequer são atendidas com água! Nossa sorte é que o Brasil é realmente um país com recursos hídricos abundantes.
3 . Este vai ser um século de guerras pela água.
Proferir tamanha tolice pressupõe a falta de uma racionalidade econômica. Que ambos recursos são importantes e a água muito mais do que o petróleo não há dúvida, mas não é por água e petróleo serem recursos naturais que se apresentam na mesma situação estratégica.
Não faz muito tempo que o petróleo era barato e custava US $ 30 o barril e dez litros de água da torneira, por sua vez, custam 3 centavos. Brigar por água é não ter o que fazer.
Há conflitos, evidentemente, em que se utiliza a água, como foi a "guerra da água", na qual os turcos represaram a Bacia do Tigre e Eufrates em 1991 contra curdos e iraquianos, mas não foi porque havia pouca água e sim porque quiseram torná-la escassa.
4 . Com mais pessoas e uma economia crescente, os EUA estão usando mais água o tempo todo.
O que impressiona é que de 1980 para cá, os EUA dobraram o tamanho de sua economia e aumentaram 70 milhões de pessoas, mas reduziram em 10% o consumo de 3 décadas.
As pessoas bebem menos? Não, mas as usinas de energia e a agricultura passaram a economizá-la -- e o que é mais impressionante ... -- ao mesmo tempo em que aumentou a produção de energia e a própria produção de alimentos. Vejam que estamos falando de setores -- energia e agricultura -- que consomem 80% do total de água.
Mas, tanto para os EUA quanto para nossa realidade ou para o mundo, isto não deve servir de salvo-conduto para gastos inconsequentes, e sim que o custo elevado impõe uma racionalização e economia. Se ainda gastamos muito, com banhos de 20min ou irrigação desnecessária em jardins que poderiam ser adaptados com plantas xerófilas é porque a conta não pesou em nossos bolsos.
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Então, reitero, a água não vai acabar, não vai haver este tipo de crise, mas seu custo sim vai levar a uma adaptação necessária e benfazeja que será erroneamente interpretada como simples escassez e toda sorte de previsões apocalípticas.
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A good story in the Washington Post to demystify some current ideas on the issue of water. Using part of the sequence of topics of the author make some notes:
1. We're running out of water.Water does not vanish, of course, only be scarce in certain river basins due to (a) the possibility of climate changes and / or (b) increase in consumption due to this improved quality of life, ie, increased income.
2. The bottled water is better than tap water.This statement really proceeds, but without hysteria. The point is that we have not had enough concern about this in Brazil, even as there are communities that are served even in water! Our luck is that Brazil is really a country with abundant water resources.
3. This will be a century of water wars.Uttering such nonsense presupposes a lack of economic rationality. That both are important resources and water more than oil there is no doubt, but not by water and oil to natural resources that are in the same strategic situation.Not too long ago that oil was cheap and cost $ 30 a barrel and ten liters of tap water, in turn, cost 3 cents. Fighting for water is not what to do.There are conflicts, of course, which uses water as was the "water war" in which the Turks dammed the basin of the Tigris and Euphrates in 1991 against Kurds and Iraqis, but it was not because there was little water, but because they wantedmake it scarce.
4. With more people and a growing economy, the U.S. is using more water all the time.What is striking is that since 1980, the U.S. doubled the size of its economy and increased by 70 million people, but reduced by 10% the consumption of three decades.People drink less? No, but power plants and agriculture began to save it - and what is more impressive ... - At the same time as increased production of energy and production of food itself. See what we're talking about sectors - energy and agriculture - consuming 80% of total water.But both the U.S. and to our reality or the world, this should not serve as a safe-conduct to reckless spending, but that imposes a high cost rationalization and economy. If you still spend a lot, with baths 20min or irrigation unnecessary in gardens that could be adapted xerophilous plants because the account is not weighed in our pockets.
1. We're running out of water.Water does not vanish, of course, only be scarce in certain river basins due to (a) the possibility of climate changes and / or (b) increase in consumption due to this improved quality of life, ie, increased income.
2. The bottled water is better than tap water.This statement really proceeds, but without hysteria. The point is that we have not had enough concern about this in Brazil, even as there are communities that are served even in water! Our luck is that Brazil is really a country with abundant water resources.
3. This will be a century of water wars.Uttering such nonsense presupposes a lack of economic rationality. That both are important resources and water more than oil there is no doubt, but not by water and oil to natural resources that are in the same strategic situation.Not too long ago that oil was cheap and cost $ 30 a barrel and ten liters of tap water, in turn, cost 3 cents. Fighting for water is not what to do.There are conflicts, of course, which uses water as was the "water war" in which the Turks dammed the basin of the Tigris and Euphrates in 1991 against Kurds and Iraqis, but it was not because there was little water, but because they wantedmake it scarce.
4. With more people and a growing economy, the U.S. is using more water all the time.What is striking is that since 1980, the U.S. doubled the size of its economy and increased by 70 million people, but reduced by 10% the consumption of three decades.People drink less? No, but power plants and agriculture began to save it - and what is more impressive ... - At the same time as increased production of energy and production of food itself. See what we're talking about sectors - energy and agriculture - consuming 80% of total water.But both the U.S. and to our reality or the world, this should not serve as a safe-conduct to reckless spending, but that imposes a high cost rationalization and economy. If you still spend a lot, with baths 20min or irrigation unnecessary in gardens that could be adapted xerophilous plants because the account is not weighed in our pockets.
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So, I repeat, the water will not stop, will not have this type of crisis, but its cost but will lead to a beneficent and necessary adjustment that will be misinterpreted as a simple shortage and all sorts of apocalyptic predictions.
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