IMPORTANCE OF WATER Water and life Water is essential to all forms of life on earth. Plants and animals depend on water, and access to clean, fresh water is essential to the wellbeing of humans. Without water, the earth would be a barren, dusty, lifeless planet. Plants (producer organisms) are the basis of the earth’s food chain. Plants produce energy (glucose) in a process called of photosynthesis. Photosynthesis (from the Greek words photo, meaning ‘light’, and synthesis, meaning ‘putting together’) involves the production of sugar using the sun’s energy (ight), carbon dioxide (CO2) and water, with oxygen a ‘waste’ product. Water is critical to this process. Water, containing dissolved nutrients obtained from the soil, is drawn into the plant through its root system. Photosynthesis is the most important biochemical process – nearly all life depends on it. Water is also critical to the metabolic processes of animals. It is, for example, the solvent in which the body’s waste products dissolve and are then expelled. WATER AND HUMAN WELLBEING The human body is largely made of water—between 55 and 78 per cent, depending on a person’s body size. To function properly, the body needs between 1 and 7 litres of water a day. The actual amount depends on a person’s level of physical activity, and the temperature and humidity. Most water is taken in via food and drink. During exercise people need to drink more water. The main role of water is to remove waste from the human body. It also provides the basis of saliva (which aids in digestion) and the fluid that surrounds the body’s joints. It also helps the body to regulate its temperature through perspiration. ASCETIC, SPIRITUAL AND RECREATIONAL VALUE OF WATER The ascetic appreciation of landscapes is one of the most important ways that people relate to the biophysical environment. Water views are especially valued. The prices paid for waterfront properties and those with water views are an indication of the value attached to the scenic amenity of such landscapes. Water also is central place to the practices and beliefs of many religions. Water cleanses. It washes away impurities. Almost all Christian churches have initiation rituals (for example baptism) involving the use of water. For Hindus all water is sacred. Holy places are usually located on the banks of rivers, coasts, seashores and mountains. Sites where two or more rivers meet carry special significance and are especially sacred. Muslims must be ritually pure before approaching God in prayer. Some mosques have a courtyard with a pool of clear water in the centre, but in most mosques water for washing is found outside the walls. In Judaism ritual washing is intended to restore or maintain a state of ritual purity. These practices include washing the hands, the hands and the feet, or total immersion which must done in ‘living water’, i.e. the sea, a river, a spring or in a mikveh (a bath used for the purpose of ritual bathing). Water-based recreational activities are among the most popular forms of leisure. Inland waterways, for example, are popular for boating, water skiing, swimming, fishing, and canoeing. Coastal waters are popular for surfing, windsurfing, diving, boating and fishing. THE IMPORTANCE OF WATER TO INDIGENOUS CULTURES While Western cultural values do pay some attention to the spiritual value of water it is very much a secondary consideration. The dominant value system that determines how water is used is an economic one. In indigenous societies, on the other hand, the situation is reversed. The dominant cultural perspective places great importance on spiritual aspects of water and water bodies (lakes, streams, springs etc.). The Western idea that water is a resource to be exploited for the benefit of people therefore stands in contrast to the value Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people place on water who see water as being as part of their responsibility towards the care of the land. ECONOMIC VALUE Water is an economic good. We use it in crop, fibre and livestock production, manufacturing, and energy production. Water is, as a result, considered a cost of production. Managing water as an economic good is an important way of achieving efficient and equitable use, and of encouraging conservation and protection of water resources. If the cost of water is set too low it will be wasted. If it is set too high people are denied access to an essential resource. Knowledge and understanding 1 Explain why water is so important to life on earth. .............................................................................................................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 2 Outline the ascetic, spiritual, recreational and economic value of water. .............................................................................................................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................................................................................................. Applying and analysing 3 Demonstrate why access to clean, fresh water is important to human wellbeing. .............................................................................................................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 4 List all the different ways in which you have used water in the past week. .............................................................................................................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 5 Construct a mind map illustrating the value of water.
