The Importance of Water

Why do we need water?

Water is an essential component of life on planet earth. It should be of no surprise that Homosapiens also need water to thrive and stay alive. Water keeps us hydrated, and it also keeps the wheels in our body turning. Water is needed for the digestive system, sweat, saliva, the regulation of body temperature, protection of the inner body, and much more. Overall, water helps your body stay in a state of homeostasis, which is essential to your survival. Homeostasis is a term that describes a steady-state of conditions. For example, when you are hot, your body temperature rises above normal temperature. In order to stay in homeostasis, your body will produce sweat to cool you down so you don't overheat.

According to USGS.gov, "Each day humans must consume a certain amount of water to survive. Of course, this varies according to age and gender, and also by where someone lives. Generally, an adult male needs about 3 liters (3.2 quarts) per day while an adult female needs about 2.2 liters (2.3 quarts) per day. All of the water a person needs does not have to come from drinking liquids, as some of this water is contained in the food we eat."

Water is also helpful when it comes to the skincare industry. Things like facial cleansing and facial serums are frequently used and cited during conversations about healing the skin. It is important that you intake the recommended amount of water so that you stay thriving!

Many places don't have water

Many places around the world do not have reliable access to clean water which considerably affects their health. People from lower socioeconomic statuses are less likely to acquire access to clean water. This also applies to schools and institutions based in impoverished areas.

According to the CDC, "Among U.S. adults, plain water intake is lower in older adults, lower-income adults, and those with lower education."

With little access to water, low-sugar teas, coffees, and juices become more of a staple because of the higher water percentage.

According to the Time magazine article, America’s Clean Water Crisis Goes Far Beyond Flint. There’s No Relief in Sight, "It’s a public-health problem, the root of which varies from place to place—old pipes silently poisoning entire cities with lead, industrial sites leaking the carcinogenic industrial chemical known as PFAS into the waterways, uranium seeping into groundwater from where it’s been mined. But the downstream effects are strikingly similar: damage to health that exacerbates the trials of poverty and a frayed social safety net. These in turn become years wiped off life expectancy and points lost from IQ scores.

In the Navajo Nation, where more than 300,000 people reside in a territory that stretches across parts of Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona, residents unknowingly drank and played in water that uranium mining had made extremely hazardous. “Growing up, they didn’t talk about how dangerous it was,” said Melissa Sloan of Tuba City, Ariz., before she died in December of kidney cancer. “I drank the water; I bathed in the water.”'

As described above, there are many places globally without safe access to clean water. This can cause illnesses, premature death, and cancer. So much needs to be done to alleviate the global water crisis. According to water.org, around 800 million people do not have access to clean water. That number is too high.

What could be done to improve water conditions globally

• Support organizations that help the situation. Water.org, The Thirst Project, and Water for People are some examples.

• Be mindful of the little things, like home leaks and shower time.

• Support other water initiatives like Global Women's water initiative and Life straw.