Fresh Water

On 1st January 2016, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development — adopted by world leaders in September 2015 at a UN Summit — officially came into force. The Sustainable Development Goals are an interrelated set of Goals, Indicators and Targets that UN member states are expected to use, to frame their agendas and political policies over the next 15 years. These Goals follow on from the Millennium Development Goals, which were agreed by governments in 2001 and expired at the end of 2015.

Considering that the stated aim of these Goals is to bring an end to all forms of poverty, whilst leaving no one behind, it is important that they are established upon common universal foundations. It is clear that they can only be achieved if there is long-term environmental sustainability and this is only possible if the global water cycle continues to function effectively. Therefore in order for there to be any lasting benefit gained from all the work that has gone towards sustainable development since 1992, safeguarding the global water cycle needs to given top priority. One of the significant Targets within the 2015 SDG’s is Target 6.6. This states:

On March 22, 2012, the US National Intelligence Council released the unclassified report, ‘The Intelligence Community Assessment on Global Water Security’. Findings in the report reinforce the view that water is not just a human health issue, not just an economic development or environmental issue, but a peace and security issue and is central to National and International security.

Recognising that achieving fresh water security is central to national and international security, it should therefore be included as a crucial element within any long-term global defense strategies. This needs to include protecting and restoring the ecosystems, which are essential for rebalancing and maintaining the entire global water cycle.

In 2016 we created a Report that further elaborates upon this subject and which provides a method/plan of action for implementing Target 6.6. This has been accepted as a model for climate adaptation by the UNFCCC and can be found on their website. We hope that you find this Document informative and that you Share it.

Because it effects us all and the choices that we make effect it, then we all need to have a far greater understanding of what regulates climate and how it relates to our day-to-day lives. This would be much more productive than trying to adapt to the increasingly extreme weather conditions or waiting for governments to eventually make decisions that consider the long-term good of the many. An important point that is often missed out of climate change discussions is the fact that the water cycle and climate cycle are not two separate systems.

The global water cycle and climate change need to be addressed together, recognising that anything that impacts upon the water cycle, also impacts upon climate and vice versa. For example – mass deforestation sets off a chain of reactions that destabilise the water cycle, which then have knock on effects upon climate systems. These effects can range from cyclones and hurricanes, to flooding and drought. Generally these alarming repercussions are looked at in isolation but it is only really by looking at the entire water cycle and climate system collectively that cohesive solutions can be applied.

Up until recently the concept of climate included the global water cycle in its three phases of liquid, solid and gas. It was clearly understood that it was changes in this cycle, which were altering climate and the US Global Change Research Program, involving NASA was initiated in the 1990’s to gain greater understanding of the processes involved. In September 1999, as an essential element of this multi billion-dollar program, a water cycle study was initiated. This was with the aim of determining whether human induced changes were affecting the intensification of the water cycle and how this affected climate. One of their conclusions was that changes in land cover and land use can have significant, even drastic, impacts on the water cycle at local and regional scales. Seeing that massive deforestation programs have been happening globally, these impacts are also at international scales.

Increased quantities of greenhouse gases in the upper atmosphere are widely recognised to be a major cause of the amplification of climate change. However water vapour is not often mentioned. This seems to be a great oversight because water vapour is the most abundant greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. According to studies it accounts for approximately 60% of the greenhouse effect. Whereas Carbon Dioxide accounts for approximately 26%. Therefore as the global water cycle becomes destabilised and there are larger quantities of water vapour in the atmosphere, it has a direct feedback effect on climate.

For too long now the essential connectivity between the global hydrological cycle, climate and human induced climate change has been sidelined in international climate talks and water conferences. Instead the idea put forwards at the International Conference on Water and the Environment held in Dublin in 1992, where it was stated that: “Water has an economic value in all its competing uses and should be recognized as an economic good.”, became the favoured approach.

Although water is the foundations and bedrock upon which all economies rest, viewing water in this way has allowed it to fall into the category of ‘valuable, limited commodity. This is bringing about the mass privatization of freshwater. It is now being treated as a marketable good that can be sold at any price, water companies wish to place upon it. In the meantime safeguarding the global water cycle and implementing effective solutions, which include preserving the ecosystems, which maintain it and dealing with rebalancing the quantities of atmospheric water vapour greenhouse gas, are being ignored.

Because freshwater, as we know it, only exists as part of a three phase recycling process known as the hydrological cycle, then any group claiming ownership of it, should also be obliged to bear the responsibility of all it’s three phases. They would therefore be accountable for all damages brought about by its instability. This includes extreme weather events related to the intensification of the water cycle and the severe reduction in quantity of freshwater worldwide, linked with aquifer depletion and glacial melt.

If we truly wish to leave our children, grandchildren and future generations a world in which they can live in some kind of peace and harmony, which accords in any way whatsoever with the ideas of sustainability and human rights, then addressing human induced climate change needs to include the rebalancing of the hydrological cycle.

During the latter part of the 20th century and even in the beginning of this one it was understood that it was the functioning of the global water cycle, which underpinned climatic conditions. In 1999 the National Research Council on Hydrologic Science emphasized the central role of water in the Earth’s climate-system. Nowadays this vital connection is greatly under emphasised, leading to ineffective actions in dealing with global water shortages and human induced climatic changes.

In many places in the world it is hard for people to understand the implications of a freshwater crisis. In the UK, and many places in Europe, America and Canada people often feel that there is too much rain and hence it is hard to conceive of water shortages. However this is not the case everywhere on Earth and it won’t even continue to be in water rich areas, unless greater effort is made to safeguard the global water cycle.

We need to consider what will happen if this cycle ceases to function, what it is dependent upon and co-operate together on a global level to preserve the natural ecosystems, which sustain it.

Regardless of where in the world we live, our stability is based on the state of ecosystems, which are both regional and global. This is why worldwide social and ecological co-operation is so essential. There is an urgent need nowadays for humanity to work together to protect the ecosystems which maintain the global water cycle, while we still have time to do so. On 22/3/13 the UN Secretary General stated:

When one hears about the vast numbers of people around the world living with water crisis and inadequate access to safe drinking water, one may find it hard to understand, considering that there is so much water on the surface of Earth. Although water covers more than three quarters of the Earth’s surface, only approximately 3% of it is fresh water. Of this, approximately 2% is found in ice caps and glaciers and 1% in underground sources, rivers, streams, lakes and the atmosphere. This unique combination of the three phases of water works as an interrelated, dynamic, regenerative system and provides sufficient freshwater for all, so long as the forests and vegetation, which are a vital part of its functioning are not destroyed.

Water is constantly changing between being a liquid, vapour or ice. Although the balance of water on Earth remains fairly constant over time,water molecules are constantly moving, in and out of the atmosphere. The proper functioning of this cycle is dependent upon and regulated by a combination of ecosystems that are fundamental for maintaining it.

Even with the immense body of knowledge, which is widely available, these ecosystems are still being destroyed on a vast scale. According to the FAO during the 1990s, 16 millions hectares of forest were cleared annually and between the years 2000 and 2010 around 130 million hectares of the Earth’s forests were lost.

They are effected by and affect the environmental conditions in other regions and countries. That is why, preserving and maintaining freshwater and vital ecosystems, needs to be done through global cooperation and collaboration. Issues such as the environment, water security, food security, economics, energy and social care are not separate. They need to be addressed in a manner that recognizes the inherent connection between them.

This will not only happen in developing countries, it will also happen in places, which are presently enjoying relative stability. This will not only happen to poor people, although they will experience the problems more acutely initially. This is a worldwide situation and it needs concerted global action.

In Goal 6 under Target 6.6 ‘Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’ world governments made the following commitment:

The critical roles that they play are increasingly being recognized as essential for the long-term continuum of life. This vital issue was acknowledged by the UN Water Security Task Force as the central factor in achieving global water security in an Analytical Brief which was released on 22/3/13 and sent to all UN Governments for serious consideration, regarding water security as a matter of National and International concern. Thus conserving and restoring ecosystems is not a side issue but rather an intrinsic part of providing a life support system for all life on Earth.

It is also understood that forests and vegetation play an essential the workings of the functioning of the Earth’s climate and that major deforestation negatively affects weather patterns all around the world.

Ecosystems maintain all of our livelihoods. Because freshwater is so crucial, a worldwide understanding and recognition of the vital roles that certain ecosystems play in maintaining quantity and quality of freshwater is essential. This widespread understanding and the implementation of remedial action is of utmost importance, if humanity and most other species on Earth are to survive for much longer.

These include mountain regions and their mixed forests, wetlands, rain forests and oceans. The vital role that mountain ecosystems play in maintaining freshwater quantity is increasingly being recognized as essential.

The protection, conservation and restoration of all ecosystems and watersheds, which the global water cycle is dependent upon has been recognised by the UN as central to achieving national and international security. Thus, maintaining healthy ecosystems is not a luxury but rather an intrinsic part of providing support and security for all.

The conservation and restoration of natural water provisioning infrastructure such as mixed mountain forests is far more essential than constructing and maintaining the built infrastructures that provides technological services for societies as they underpin all present and future success.

This has to be done while it is still potentially possible, as a matter of urgency. Adequate supplies and quality of freshwater are dependent upon such action. It could be as straightforward as a worldwide concerted mountain region reforestation and rehabilitation program.

This is not a new conversation. UN conferences to consider environmental and water security have been occurring since the 1970’s. These include the UNESCO Belgrade Charter on Environmental Education 1975 and the first UN water focused conference in Mar Del Plata in 1977. Yet too often concerted action has been delayed in favour of short-term economics.

Mountain ecosystems are amongst those crucial ecosystems, which are necessary for the healthy functioning of the hydrological cycle. They play a key role in maintaining freshwater quantity and quality worldwide.

It is estimated that one in two people worldwide depend on freshwater mountain sources. Whatever happens in upland watersheds has a massive impact on the water supply of downstream areas and the destruction and disturbances of mountain ecosystems have wide-reaching global consequences.

Mountains are often called nature’s water towers. All of Earth’s rivers have their headwaters and origins in them. They intercept air circulating around the globe and force it upwards where it condenses into clouds, which provide rain and snow. They also store water in various ways, including the formation of snow and ice, which is later released as melt-off during warm seasons.

Another essential source of fresh water is glaciers and mountain snow. During winter months snow accumulates in the mountains. It slowly melts over the summer, generating fresh water for streams and rivers and the needs of humans, plants and animals. Nowadays mountain snows and glaciers are melting and receding at an unprecedented rate.

As has been noted by many scientists, these glaciers are not only a major source of fresh water for more than half of humanity; they are also a fundamental part of the planet’s climate cycles. Either positively or negatively they effect weather patterns on a global scale. Therefore they effect us all.

We all generally understand the temporary crisis we would experience, if the water tanks in our homes were not operational. In this case however, we are talking about the water towers of Earth and the potential global crisis that would occur if they should cease to function. Therefore it is of paramount importance that these irreplaceable ecosystems are given immediate attention and that all is done to protect and restore their mixed biodiversity. We cannot afford to loose this biodiversity because it plays a vital role in precipitation and the creation of snows at high altitudes.

Problems related to their degradation are not simply problems for those living in mountain regions. All of life on Earth is affected. Through deforestation, dam building and the mass burning of fossil fuels, humanity has inadvertently brought about these problems Therefore it is the responsibility of the international community to do everything possible to fix them. If we do not take concerted unified co-operative action now it will only get far worst.

On 1st January 2016, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development — adopted by world leaders in September 2015 at a UN Summit — officially came into force. The Sustainable Development Goals are an interrelated set of Goals, Indicators and Targets that UN member states are expected to use, to frame their agendas and political policies over the next 15 years. Target 6.6 sets a mandate for world governments to protect and restore water related ecosystems, as they are essential for realising access to fresh water for all.

Fresh water security has already been recognised as central to global security and the ecosystems which regulate this has been recognised as central to water security. Therefore this needs to be included as a crucial element within all global defence strategies.

Water and forests are constantly interacting to produce healthy and productive ecosystems. Acting as enormous sponges, forests provide natural filtration and storage systems that supply a high percentage of freshwater globally. Their roots and leaf biomass affect water balance and create conditions that promote the infiltration of rainwater into the soil and then into the groundwater and aquifer systems.

Mixed forests and biodiversity play a crucial role in the renewal and recharge functions of the hydrological cycle by affecting rates of transpiration and evaporation and influencing how water is routed and stored in watersheds.They also play a fundamental role in climatic conditions at both regional and global levels.

Water is unique amongst Earths natural resources because whilst it is renewable, it is not replaceable and virtually all-terrestrial life is dependent upon it. There are various substitutes for presently used energy sources but there is no substitute whatsoever for fresh water. However the renewability of fresh water is dependent upon a healthily functioning water cycle. This is utterly reliant upon biological diversity to function effectively and provide adequate quantities of fresh water.

Most people in the world are dependent upon groundwater. However ground water availability is related to the recharge aspect of the hydrological cycle and high areas, such as forested mountains and hills are typically where aquifers are recharged. They are naturally recharged by rain and snowmelt and the roots of these forests help to channel the snowmelt into the underground water systems, which feed into aquifers.

Recharge is critical to maintaining the abundance, quantity, purity and quality of groundwater. It provides a constant supply of freshwater to wells, springs, and wetlands. Therefore the necessity of forests, particularly mixed indigenous mountain forests, for freshwater and the entire global water cycle becomes starkly evident.

This indicates that protecting, conserving and restoring these forests is absolutely essential for water, food, development and the well being of all worldwide.

Forests, influence the hydrological cycle by directly affecting rates of transpiration and evaporation and by influencing how water is recycled and stored in watersheds.

It is important to note that it is the mixed native forests with their great variety of biodiversity, which are really so fundamental for maintaining the health of rivers, streams, watersheds, aquifers and springs.

Therefore the presence of forests and plants seriously affects the hydrological cycle and rainfall patterns and its large-scale removal significantly changes these patterns globally.

The mass of research that indicates the crucial function of biodiversity and forests is irrefutable. Thus the protection and restoration of ecosystems is a vital and essential contribution for protecting the global water cycle, which in turn is essential for water and food security. Population growth is often considered to be one of the main threats to these. However if the essential ecosystems are not restored and preserved then water and food security is not achievable regardless of population growth.

Our lives depend upon water and food. Therefore our lives depend upon global biodiversity and ecosystems. Life on Earth is interconnected and we are all interdependent and intrinsically linked.

Population growth is often considered to be one of the main threats to these. However if the essential ecosystems are not restored and preserved then water and food security is not achievable regardless of population growth. Our lives depend upon fresh water and food. Therefore our lives depend upon global biodiversity and ecosystems. Life on Earth is interconnected and we are all interdependent and intrinsically linked.

It is unfortunate that within the Human Right to water debate, the ecological side of the equation is often overlooked. This is a significant oversight because regardless of who is responsible for governing and providing fresh water, if there are inadequate quantities of fresh water, how can water security be realised?

The Right to Water emphasizes that water should be treated as a social and cultural good, and not primarily as an economic good. It also stresses that the manner in which this right is realized must be sustainable and in the interest of all, ensuring that the Right can be realized for present and future generations.

Agenda 21 included an objective to ensure that adequate supplies of water are maintained for the entire population of the planet, and specifies that the right to water includes access to a sufficient quantity and quality of water. According to Professor Peter Gleick in 1996, an adequate supply requires a minimum of 50 to 100 liters per person per day.

This was explicitly expressed in the Open Working Group 10 Sustainable Development meeting in the UN buildings in New York, between 31/3/14 and 4/4/14, when the Chinese government representative said:

Most of us take our right to water for granted. We also assume that the global water cycle will continue functioning and delivering our freshwater supplies as it always has. The present environmental and social conditions mean that we need to become more conscious and become more involved in preserving our water cycle and our common rights.

Governments have not only agreed upon obligation to supply fresh water in relation to maximum resources, they have also committed themselves to the responsibility of proactively protecting, safeguarding, and maintaining this vital resource. This necessitates the protection of all the vital ecosystems, which maintain the global water cycle and the protection of the cycle itself, so that adequate supplies of fresh water can be produced and provided.

However regarding the adoption of necessary measures directed towards the full realization of the rights to water, there are major ecological factors, which have been overlooked. The protection and restoration of water resourcing ecosystems such as mixed mountain forests, rain forests and watersheds has not been prioritised and has often been largely neglected. This has been in favour of privatization and management schemes, which do not include securing these environmental crucial factors.

Since Rio+20 in 2012, it has been affirmed and clarified by experts that the ecosystems and environments which maintain essential services needed for the very survival of life on Earth, such as the hydrological cycle, are threatened with collapse if not given appropriate and immediate attention.

On October 28, 1982 the World Charter for Nature was adopted by UN member nation-states. It proclaims five principles of conservation by which all human conduct affecting nature is to be guided and judged. Principle 1 states:

To achieve the Human Right to Water, it is fundamental and vital to have an adequate supply of fresh water. This can only be achieved through protecting and securing the global water cycle and the ecosystems, which it relies upon to function effectively.

The human right to adequate fresh water and the responsibility of governments to maintain this resource has been reiterated on numerous occasions.

In May 2013 the UN Secretary General spoke of the world running out of fresh water, yet although this was alarming, it was not new information to world leaders. In 2002 world governments were warned of the problems, which would occur if water-resourcing ecosystems were not given appropriate attention.

If these basic needs for life that affect all humanity are being deliberately removed from UN Resolutions, what is really being proposed when universal access to water is being shouted from government and UN pulpits? Even those who currently have access to basic drinking water do not have a guarantee of price regulation or continued access. In the meantime governments are favoring market solutions to resource allocations and major world banks and billionaires are buying up the world’s water supplies.

When considering water as a natural resource that is in a constant process of recycling; how can ownership rights ever have been considered, especially given that domestic water cannot be legally separated from the broader hydrological cycle?

We can either unite and take concerted global action or we can wait for the inevitable problems, which will occur if we wait for others to deal with this issue for us. Taking an ecosystem approach, as was agreed upon by world governments in September 2015 is still possible. This entails stopping the deforestation of mixed forests and the reforestation of mountain regions with mixed forests. These regions are where fresh water is stored in glaciers and snows and they are the sources of Earth’s rivers.

The UN has recognised that water security is a central issue that underpins all environmental and social issues. It has even been recognised as central to both National and International security.However there is a growing global concern about resource scarcity and future freshwater shortages with demand exceeding supply. Many ecosystems, which are critical for maintaining the renewable function of the water cycle, have been massively depleted worldwide.

This is a looming global problem and many corporations have become involved. However there is a real danger that fresh water will be treated simply as a valuable and limited commodity and that it will be privatised globally. Richard Sandor, an analyst at Environmental Products, who also founded the Chicago Climate Exchange stated:

Therefore it is dangerous to view fresh water as a dwindling finite resource. Rather, the main focus for safeguarding freshwater needs to be directed towards protecting and restoring the ecosystems, which maintain the water cycle. This way it is possible to have adequate supplies of freshwater for both present and future generations.

This situation needs to be given urgent and immediate attention. If the renewal aspect of the global water cycle is yet again ignored and not attended to, we will soon all be asking the question:

Unlike other essential resources, which are used as commodities to power economies, water is not only something, which humans and other life forms need for survival; it makes up a significant fraction of the human body. By weight, adult human beings and most animals are composed of between approximately 60% and 70% water and the majority of trees and plants vary between 50% and 75%.

In contrast to inert non-renewable natural resources such as gold and oil, water is a living substance, which is constantly moving, recycling and regenerating. Not only is a river a body of water and part of the global hydrological cycle, so are we. We not only depend upon the water cycle for life, we are all collectively part of it. It is important to think about this because then we can understand how water links all life on earth and cannot be wholly contained, nor commodified as a limited resource.So now we need to think really clearly about the immense and vital importance of the global hydrological cycle and our common heritage.

In general the propositions to date from various water companies, multinationals and corporations do not include the preservation of the whole water cycle and the ecosystems upon which it relies to function effectively. Meanwhile organisations as influential as UNESCO are pinpointing the necessity of these ecosystems for freshwater.

Commodifying water and regarding it as a finite dwindling resource will distract attention and resources away from preserving the fundamental yet endangered ecosystems, which maintain the water cycle.In March 2013 the UN Water Task Force created an Analytical Brief to guide governments on how to address global water security. It states:

This does not suggest securing freshwater through privatisation or the commodification of water. On the contrary it points to the need of protecting and maintaining Earth’s natural ecosystems. A similar understanding was agreed upon and signed by world governments at the UNCSD Rio+20, 2012.

It is unsustainable to ignore the regenerative nature of water and use our time and resources in managing ever-decreasing water resources, whilst in the meantime allowing the natural water cycle to degenerate. This is like designing a house and disregarding solid foundations. Collapse is inevitable.

There is no basis for the assumption that our species is separate from and inherently superior to other life forms or that we have a privileged place and can negligently destroy nature for our whims. There is, however, a basis for believing that, as members of humanity and the vast terrestrial community, we have a duty to use our foresight and empathy for the benefit of the whole.

There has been a worldwide tradition of thinking in terms of seven generations and it was widely recognized that the foundations of all sustainability are dependent and based upon healthy functioning environmental cycles and systems. Chief amongst these being, the freshwater cycle, which virtually all species are dependent upon.

Regardless of who we are or where we live it is important to understand that the water cycle and its inherent ecosystems are the life support system of the entire planet and that the responsibility of safeguarding these is a common human responsibility. It is also in our own long-term interest to safeguard these for future generations and for all life on Earth.
It is utterly unsustainable to ignore the regenerative nature of water and use existing time and resources in managing ever-decreasing water resources, whilst in the meantime allowing the natural water cycle to degenerate. This is like designing a house and disregarding the need for solid foundations. Collapse is inevitable.

Human life is not viable independent of other species and ecosystems. We are all interdependent and because we utterly depend upon them, we need to live in such a way as considers their needs as well as our own.

A new ethic of coexistence with nature, all the natural worlds and the natural cycles is still possible but it ultimately depends not on law, science or monetary values but also on more ancient, natural, humanitarian principles and values. A deeper awareness and respect for nature and all natural elements such as water, air, earth and fire is essential. If humanity wishes to continue to survive and evolve on Earth, respect for the ancestors and their wisdom is crucial.

Maintaining the natural worlds and ecosystems that are so fundamental for human life and all life on Earth is not simply a job for a few. It is the responsibility of humanity as a whole. Because we all rely upon freshwater, the responsibility of safeguarding the hydrological cycle and the ecosystems, which maintain it, is a common human responsibility. It is also in our long-term interest to safeguard these for all future generations.

Because humanity is an integral part of nature, in the long term humanity can only flourish if we live in accord with Earths’ natural cycles. This has been the way for millions of years and we ignore it in favour of short-term mass profit for a few, at our peril.The new global ethic elucidated by UNESCO could guide humanity beyond the present crisis.

There are laws of nature, which should never have been abused and forgotten. The present crisis we face concerning water security, food security, economic instability and potential wars for water are direct results of our negligence of these laws.

Humanity is after all a part of this incredible, interrelated natural world and we have immeasurable intelligence and capacities when our minds are connected in a common collective focus, for the well being and benefit of the whole.

It is high time that humanity regains and works with the natural common sense and understanding of this common connectivity. We need to recognise that nature is an interconnected web of interrelated systems in the same way that the human body is and that we are an interlinked part of it and not independent from it.

No aspects of nature show this more clearly than the atmosphere and the hydrological cycle, which supply the same fundamental air and water to all beings around the world. The same common water that supplied the needs of all our ancestors hundreds of thousands of years ago provides for our needs today. It is not so long ago that the water in a river in the county where we live, was in a river, lake or even aquifer thousands of miles away.

We all depend upon a common water cycle and this cycle depends upon common ecosystems around the world to function. Amongst these, mountain ecosystems worldwide play a pivotal and essential role. Mountains are located on all continents and in most countries around the world.

If we were to consider them as the roof of a very large building with many floors and rooms, we could more easily understand their interrelated common relationship. We could more easily perceive the relationship between the different countries in the world, like the various rooms and the mountains regions like the one, all protecting, all maintaining common roof. We could more easily understand the need to take responsibility and collectively care for the whole rather than just the parts, which seem to most directly, affect us.

As water unites all the parts of our body in one living system, it also unites all environments in one living system. Water makes up approximately 60% of our bodies and we can’t go for more than a few days without it. The global water cycle likewise unites all the regions of nature in a common relationship. Water is a common and absolute necessity.

We can no longer afford to put all our focus on maintaining local sources of water without recognising that these are dependent upon global environmental conditions. For successful outcomes, we need to also put a percentage of our focus and energy into maintaining these. Therefore we need to take common responsibility and work together on common solutions.

It is becoming more and more evident that good international collaboration needs to take place in order to resolve these problems. This is why we need to cooperate with and support communities around the world to maintain our common interests. We also need to give support for the protection and restoration of biodiversity in the mountainous regions of the world.

The water cycle is the common uniting factor between all life forms on Earth and is central to life itself. This is most certainly the central commons around which all else spins and is akin to the nucleus at the centre of the atom. All of our well being is intertwined and dependent upon others. We all share a common wish to survive and be happy. We all have more in common than otherwise. We all share a common Earth. We all share a common responsibility towards our ancestors and our descendents.