Water is a small molecule made up of just two atoms of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen (H₂O). It is a renewable resource that is important in many processes that produce energy.  This colourless, transparent, odourless and tasteless liquid is abundant in seas, lakes, rivers, and is the basis of the fluids of all living things.

The link between water and energy

Water and energy are closely interlinked and interdependent.  Water is used for energy generation and transmission, particularly, for hydroelectric, nuclear, and thermal energy. On the other hand, energy is required to purify and pump water to homes, factories and fields. In fact, about one-tenth of the global energy generation is used for pumping, treating, and transporting water to various consumers.

Water is critical for the extraction of energy sources such as coal, oil, gas and uranium. It is also important for the transport of the various forms of energy such as coal, bunker sea fuel, petroleum, crude oil etc.

Energy is also used in most industrial processes to supply adequate water to produce the desired product. Water resources and how they are managed impact almost all aspects of society and the economy, in particular, health, food production and security, domestic water supply and sanitation, energy, industry, and the functioning of ecosystems and climate change.

Managing Water Use

While water is vital to energy production and transportation, water is also important to other sectors, including agriculture, recreation, and most importantly within our homes. Because, energy is used to pump water to our homes, the more water we use, then the more fuel has to be used. As such, when water is wasted, energy is wasted.  However, we are facing a water crisis. Seventy – five percent (75%) of earth is water, however, only 3% of this is freshwater, yet still, less than 1% is available for the entire world to use because 2% is locked away in ice caps and glaciers. This means that water has to be managed effectively to ensure that all these sectors can run efficiently.

How we can we do this? On a personal level we can seek to perform simple actions as it relates to our water use. These include:

• Turning off the tap while brushing your teeth, or whilst soaping up in the bathroom;
• Fixing leaky pipes;
• Safely collecting rain water for use;
• Water plants early in the morning or late in the afternoon so that the plant will retain most of the moisture as opposed to watering plants when the sun is high; and
• Dispose of all wastes in a proper manner so that our waterways will not be polluted.

As the demand for both water and energy continues to supersede the supply, the call is for us to be more efficient in the use of both of these resources.  We should all follow the “Use less. Save more.” practice regarding water and energy in our daily life.

Fast Facts About Water

• Globally, 780 million people lack access to safe drinking water
• Most of the water used for hydropower generation is returned to the river though some evaporates and there are important impacts on timing and quality of streamflows.
• Roughly 75% of all industrial water. withdrawals are used for energy production.

(Source: http://www.unwater.org You can share your ideas and questions by sending letters to: “Our Earth, Our Environment”, C/O EIT Division, Environmental Protection Agency, Ganges Street, Sophia, GEORGETOWN, or email us at: eit.epaguyana@gmail.com)