Water is one of the most important resources in the world. In fact, life on earth is impossible without water. However, there are currently more than two billion people, or at least 25 percent of the world’s population, who do not have access to safe, clean drinking water. The World Bank has predicted that by the year 2025, two-thirds of the world’s population will run short of fresh drinking water.

Another natural resource crucial to all life is farmland. Without farmland we simply would not have food to eat. However, farmland is a limited natural resource and we are also losing arable (farmable) land at alarming rates. Some of this is due to desertification, the process that turns land into a desert. More than 110 countries in all climate regions on all continents around the world are seriously affected by desertification.

Nobel Laureate The Dalai Lama talks about caring for our planet.

“Because we all share this small planet earth, we have to learn to live in harmony and peace with each other and with nature. That is not just a dream, but a necessity. We are dependent on each other in so many ways, that we can no longer live in isolated communities and ignore what is happening outside those communities, and we must share the good fortune that we enjoy.”

You can easily see how shrinking water supplies are linked to problems of desertification and shrinking farmland. These problems are even worse in the areas of the world where the population is growing very quickly. In addition, many of the areas of the world that are hardest hit by water shortages and desertification are also areas of the world where armed conflicts and wars are going on. In fact, sometimes the struggle over water and farmland push tensions to the point of warfare.

Shrinking water supplies also face a threat from privatization. Sources of water have historically been owned in common by a community or government controlled. In recent years, however, international corporations have rushed to “privatize” water sources. These companies seek to buy water rights to a community and then make a profit from supplying water to residents. Local governments sometimes sell off water rights as a short-term solution to debt.

The result of privatization is usually higher prices and water poorer quality. A good example is Cochabamba, Bolivia’s third-largest city, where privatization of the water in 2000 led to huge rate increases. What followed was a revolt by the citizens that forced the government to take back control of the water supply. Water should remain a publicly owned and controlled resource.

Food and safe drinking water are two of the most basic natural resources that are needed for human life. All people need to be working to ensure that water and food are available to all of humanity.