Water is the most important element necessary to sustain life on Earth.

All creatures living on the surface of the earth can survive for short periods without food/sustenance intake, but without water demise is very rapid.

Plants can survive by extraction moisture from the soil, but creatures generally require water to drink to survive.

Creatures in the past have lived with a water source nearby, be it a spring, soak, pond, rock pool, river or lake. Humans have been able to artificially store water in barrels, tanks, build dams, dig wells etc.

With "civilisation" demand for water has increased dramatically. Water is in most cases demanded not for immediate survival, but for lifestyle, hygiene, industry and irrigation. Urbanisation has meant that in the main, people do not have immediate access to a natural water source.

To meet demands, water is reticulated from lakes, rivers, dams, aquifers and more recently, desalination plants.

Man has now interfered with nature on a grand scale !

Ponder This ...

• Have we gone too far in our personal usage of water ?

• Do we need to wash, bathe and shower as often as we do ?

• Do we need our ornamental gardens, spas and swimming pools ?

• Do we need flood irrigation of crops that can be more naturally grown elsewhere ?

• Are dams, changing watercourses, and flood irrigation changing evaporation patterns ?

And in relation to the main topic, are these factors contributing to climate change ?