It sounds clichéd, but water, as essential as it is, is fast beginning to become scarce resource. The people in the know have already warned us that future wars will not be fought over oil and such like commodities, but over water.

And this is already playing itself out within the borders of many countries. In India, for instance, many states have taken up legal cases disputing the legality of diverting precious river waters, for irrigation purposes, to other, water-scarce states. In China, The Yellow River water is now loaded with heavy metals and other toxins that make it unfit even for irrigation, much less for human consumption, along much of its route which is a potential time bomb that will cause immense upheaval. In places like Sydney, we have already heard of the much publicized ‘water wars’ that occur between neighbors when there is water rationing in place within the city.

Just in case you are smugly thinking that we are spared from this crisis wherever you are, banish the thought at once. We’d had our fair share of water shortages when rainfall has been inadequate. With climate change now exacerbated as a result of global warming, this pattern can only be intensify.

Your tap water is not the only source of water to satisfy your fluid needs. In an average adult diet, food provides about 20 percents of total water intake. The remaining 80 percents comes from beverages of all kinds. Fruits and vegetables besides being good sources of vitamins, minerals and fiber… they also contain a lot of water. For example, oranges are 87% water and cucumber is 95% water. In general, your daily diet will provide about 2 cups of water more if you load up on fruits, veggies and soups. Milk, juices and other beverages also have large amount of water.

The bottom line is, we need to use water like the precious resource it is. As responsible citizens, we must hold our relevant authorities accountable to manage our water resources in a sustainable manner, support cutting -edge technologies that preserve and enhance our water supply and use water responsibly within our own households.

As the old American-Indian proverb goes, “The frog does not drink up the pond in which it lives.” So let’s begin to cultivate good water sense now, before it’s too late.