Water: The Gold We Keep Spilling

Water is one of the world’s most precious natural resources, so precious that without it, humanity wouldn’t just struggle… we simply wouldn’t exist. We all know this, of course. We learned it in school, we watch it in documentaries, and we say it out loud when we’re trying to sound deep and philosophical.

But knowing something and behaving like we know it are two very different things. So, we’re here to spill the tea (but save the water).

The World is running out of water, rapidly!

Here’s something that should stop us in our tracks:

• Two billion people, a quarter of humanity, live with severe water scarcity for at least one month every year.
• By 2030, global demand for freshwater is expected to outstrip supply by 40%.
• Every single day, over 700 children die from illnesses linked to unsafe water.
• Major rivers like the Colorado, Indus, and Yellow River are running dangerously low or failing to reach the sea in certain seasons.
• Cape Town came within 90 days of running out of water completely in 2018. A modern, developed city, almost without water.

This is not something happening in some distant, hypothetical future. This is happening now, and it’s accelerating.

Water fuels life, yet we treat it like an afterthought

Energy fuels economies, yes, no debate there. But water fuels life all on Earth. Without it, nothing survives, nothing is produced, and certainly no society functions.

And yet we invest billions moving energy across continents while water leaks, spills, evaporates, and gets polluted daily with barely a second thought. We assume fresh, clean water is always going to be available simply because it always has been, in our lifetime, in our country.

But that assumption is becoming dangerous.

We waste water in small ways at home and in enormous ways through inefficient systems, outdated infrastructure, and industries that still treat water as a disposable convenience. It’s time to sink or swim.

Ireland’s unique opportunity

Here’s where things become both urgent and hopeful.
Ireland is one of the few countries in the world blessed with a relatively stable supply of freshwater. This is not something we should take for granted, it’s something we should protect and leverage responsibly.

In a world heading toward water insecurity, Ireland has a chance to:

• Become a global leader in water stewardship
• Attract industries that need reliable water supply (All those data centre lovers, watch out!)
• Build resilient systems that future-proof communities
• Innovate in water technology, conservation, and management
• Treat water as the strategic national asset it truly is

We talk about energy security all the time, but water security will define the future. Countries will compete for water, safeguard it, and even fight over it. It will shape economics, politics, migration, and public health.

Ireland is sitting on what I consider the gold of tomorrow, and we must act like we understand its value. It’s high tide for a change.

So, what actually needs to change?

Not everything requires a grand gesture. But it does require a shift in mindset (tapping into better habits, perhaps?):

• Fix leaks, at home and at national scale
• Value water as the finite resource is it
• Build efficient systems that don’t take water for granted
• Encourage businesses to monitor, reduce, and report water use
• Support policy that protects water resources long-term
• Watch yourself! I simple behavioural change can save thousands of litres of water every year: close the tap while brushing your teeth, a 4-minute shower is more than enough (and I have long, curly hair!) and if its yellow… let it mellow (yeah I said it LOL).

We need to think about water the way we think about Wi-Fi: everything depends on it, and when it’s gone, the entire household goes into chaos. Life simply doesn’t function without it.

Water is life. And life is worth protecting.

- Raquel Noboa, Founder & CEO of Fifty Shades Greener