Water: Saving Every Drop

Estimates say that by 2030, if we carry on as we are, the world will have only 60 percent of the water it needs. In India’s Ladakh, rising temperatures are leading to glacial melt and water shortages in the mountains of the Himalayas. The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is also struggling as it experiences severe drought.  

earthrise travelled to both Ladakh and Jordan to understand the local solutions being applied to help ease the increasingly worrying water problems. 

Ladakh’s Ice Stupas

All life depends on snow in Ladakh, with the high-altitude desert region receiving only 50mm of rainfall a year. Agriculture relies mainly on the water that comes from snow and glacial melt, but with rising temperatures and changing weather patterns, most villages in the area are experiencing severe water shortage. 

Since 1980 the average temperature has increased by more than two degrees, with a huge impact on the local environment. The glaciated area in Ladakh has been lost, meaning that glaciers are much smaller and in some areas have disappeared altogether.

Sonam Wangchuck has been on a mission to help villagers adapt to the changing climate through his ice stupa concept. The ice stupa builds upon a simple idea – by directing glacial melt or water travelling downstream through a pipe to a location nearby. This water is then channelled vertically, freezing and forming cone-like structures in temperatures reaching minus 20 degrees Celsius. 

Russell Beard travels to Ladakh to join Wangchuck in building an ice stupa and explores how this innovative solution is helping the local community. 

Jordan’s Water Wise Women 

Jordan is going through a severe drought. Pressure on water supplies is being aggravated by the presence of two million refugees who have fled the conflict in neighbouring Syria. Groundwater reserves are being depleted at an alarming rate and, in addition, about 40 percent of the water distributed to homes across the country is lost through illegal wells and faulty pipes. 

Through the Water Wise Women’s initiative, local women are being trained to be plumbers. They are now able to deal themselves with any leakages in their homes and communities, thereby saving water in a more timely manner.

Amani Zain visited Jordan to learn about the water initiative that is putting women at the heart of efforts to combat water scarcity.