Is Bulk Water export sustainable?
August 29th 2010 -
At AquaNation we are always looking for innovative water solutions. Our focus lies on renewable energy based desalination to produce potable water, because we find the technologies that drive this mechanism sustainable and in good standing. However, it behooves us to understand what is out there and what may represent a future replacement for us.
Recently, we came across “bulk water export” as a concept being tested by private organizations through “Circle of Blue”.
It appears that a company in Alaska expects to engage in bulk water transport across continents, selling water to India. The article points to a lot of business and logistical aspects and some issues surrounding that. Our take at AquaNation is not as much about the business issues, but about the sustainability of the idea:
1. In terms of sourcing the water, how are we achieving any type of balancing by taking water from one source and taking it to a completely different place on the planet. Ecosystems tend to be local, and one should carefully identify what could be the consequences of moving water off an ecosystem.
2. Given that water needs to be transported across such vast distances, how do the carbon footprint and the energy consumption line up? Transportation of good through ships over long distances may have a lower footprint than other modes of transportation, but the footprint is sizable nevertheless. Will this counter the footprint of localized water sourcing techniques?
3. Bulk water transportation also places demands on infrastructure creation at the receiving end, which would be the ports in countries such as India. Without a cost (including environmental costs) benefit analysis, does the infrastructure creation remove valuable resources, including money away from critical, local, sustainable projects?
4. On the same vein, does bulk water export/import give people a false sense of security over the short term preventing people from feeling a sense of urgency toward applying local, sustainable water solutions?
5. With respect to bacteria such as giardiasis and others, who takes the responsibility of cleaning up the bacteria? Will we spread new forms of “non-native” germs from one continent to another? Will the benefits outweigh these risks?
These are just some of the questions that we have raised. I am sure there are many more questions that need to be addressed with respect to bulk water transportation. The very existence of unanswered questions does not challenge the validity of the technology, but the questions do remain and someone must take the responsibility of answering them before we dig deep into what may later on prove to be unproven and unreliable technology.
We will keep an eye out on the technology and we will keep you updated. Any study results and opinions on the viability of bulk water transport are always welcome!
References:
1. http://www.circleofblue.org/waternews/2010/world/bulk-water-company-plans-to-export-to-india-east-asia-and-the-caribbean/
2. http://www.circleofblue.org/waternews/featured-water-stories/bulk-water-exports/
Tags: bulk water export, circle of blue, sustainable water technologies
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