Alcohol industry is unfairly storing and profiting from the people’s water; WWD 2020
The theme of this year’s World Water Day is ‘Water and Climate change’. ‘The global climate crisis is inextricably linked to water. Climate change increases variability in the water cycle, inducing extreme weather events, reducing the predictability of water availability, affecting water quality and threatening sustainable development and biodiversity worldwide.’
The United Nations estimated that, globally about 666 million people lack clean water to drink, cook, etc.
The UN SDGs has prioritize the important of water for all, SDG6 urges governments to ‘Ensure availability and sustainable management of water …… for all, it is interesting to note that whiles the alcohol industry has facilities and resources to store water for longer period, thereby making huge profit, the communities are without adequate clean water for drinking, cooking and for other personal uses. Government must address this unfairly practice by making water available.
It is estimated that, in producing one litre of beer about 61 to 180 litres of water are used, for a glass of wine (125 ml) about 110 liters’ are needed.
In a UN report, it was stated that globally about 666 million people are without clean water.
Climate change with its ‘extreme weather events are making water more scarce, more unpredictable and more polluted’. Humans need water to survive whiles the alcohol industry stores and uses the scarce water to produce alcoholic beverage.
This is the time to adopt a more comprehensive approach to the regulation of the alcohol industry if climate change is to be addressed. Government should consider a new water policy to check the storage and the usage of water by the alcohol industry.
The alcohol industry cannot be a partner in sustainable water management.
