One can more especially appreciate the availability of fresh water on and around World Water Day. It is said that only about 3% of Earth’s water is freshwater. Of that, only about 1.2 % can be used as drinking water. The remainder of the water is locked up in glaciers, ice caps, and permafrost, or is buried deep in the ground. In South Africa the supply of water is highly regarded, as Section 27 of the Bill of Rights states that access to water is a human right : “Everyone has the right to have access to sufficient food and water…”

The world is currently dealing with global warming which can potentially have extremely adverse effects on the supply of water. Global warming results in higher temperatures and more extreme, less predictable, weather conditions are expected to affect availability and distribution of rainfall, snowmelt, river flows and groundwater, and further deteriorate water quality. Changes in water availability will also impact health and food security. It is therefore crucial that we do our best to take care of the environment in order to safeguard the supply of water.