Humans find security in what they know, what they are familiar with and what they believe they master. Human security (http://www.un.org/humansecurity/sites/www.un.org.humansecurity/files/human_security_in_theory_and_practice_english.pdf) depends on building and establishing life-styles that are based on packages of knowledge, i.e. science and technology, that are in best cases founded on hypothesis and models that are still to be tested, examined and validated. Seeking security is a natural instinct for survival as living in an ocean of unknowns is associated with fear that can gradually grow and grow and piles up to end with panik and collapse. Feeling secure, which may or even can be run-away from reality, i.e. an illusion associated with moving with a “mainstream” even when we don’t know where it will end up. From history we know that a mainstream can not be always right, it is just a mainstream that can mean escape from fear and from the unknowns that can be knowns or unknowns. For decades we were moving and still moving with a global mainstream “fossil-fuel” driven by blind economy and some  packages of science and technology that we are mastering for the sake of short-term survival though not sustainable on the long-term but even destructive. 

Now everything is turned upside down, and our secured mainstream collapsed, with failing life-quality everywhere. The quality of life for all of us is degrading and dragging us in a spiral of unending anhilation. The quality of life is fading away and not any longer a priority but an option and even it is only for few of us for the sake of economical survival. An economical survival “capitalism” and not even for everyone and what was for everyone “socialism” didn’t last and failed to deliver the most essential for survival “equality in quality”. 

Our new reality, i.e. post fossil-fuel era is calling for tectonic shifts to”post-capitalist” (http://gu.com/p/4ay9c?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other) and “post-socialism” (https://www.dukeupress.edu/postsocialism-and-cultural-politics).

Nevertheless, not all the science and technology that were supposed to provide sustainable security as measured in terms of life-quality was wrong as fortunately few of us believed in exploring what most of us didn’t believe in or felt uncomfortable and an inconvenient truth. Few of us went against the mainstream to search about the unknowns that are shaking the stability of life on earth and to question the knowns that are driving the mainstream. 

The world population is moving away from a known insecurity “global warming” to an new unknown insecurity “post fossil-fuel era”. An insecure future as we don’t know much about it yet, only few of us may know. With this said, the majority of us are not even prepared to change their life-styles as they not yet have access to the necessary education, resources and infra-structure to do so. Above all the only thing we know at the moment is that we will be facing an enormous challenge to limit the average global surface temperature increase to 2°C (3.6°F). Indeed, we are stepping away from an existing insecurity resulting from being dependent on unclean energy resources to a future insecurity of implementing technology that is not accessible and affordable for everyone especially in a world with population structure that will look very much different by the end of this century (http://wapo.st/148nw27).

In science there is far big gaps between theory, reality and technological applications. The same holds as well for existing enormous gaps between what the UN is wishing to implement in terms of the so-called Sustainable Developments Goals “SDG” and the reality we lived in and we still have to live with. The environmental and ecological situation, in particular water quality around the world, as it exists today did not develop over night and will not disappear over-night. Such reality is the core of lost generation in the past and for decades to come in the future (see earlier posts in http://sustain-earth.com). The real challenges for having sustainable management policies around the world need practical solutions with strong underlying educational and public awareness infra-structures. 

There are huge needs in all education and public awareness systems around the world for basic information and practice on hygiene and sanitation issues (http://www.infonet-biovision.org/content/introduction-hygiene-and-sanitation) with systems for strict guidelines for solid implementation in all small communities and villages in rural areas in the developing countries, e.g. Guidelines for Assessing the Risk to Groundwater from On–Site Sanitation “ARGOSS” (http://www.indiawaterportal.org/articles/guidelines-assessing-risk-groundwater-site-sanitation-argoss).

Indeed, achieving sustainable quality in surface water and groundwater systems and thereby improving ecological and human life qualities in many developing countries, in particular Africa, depend on succsseful sanitation policies as sanitation is an accelerating global threat for water quality, hygiene and health as well as life quality in general.

Water should be on the top agenda for promoting good quality of life in Africa. The reality of many people is far from being acceptable and the world should revise their tools what regards how to assess poverty. It is shameful that poverty is still assessed on terms and criteria that do not match modern living conditions on earth.

http://people.rit.edu/~avm4454/105/project3/africa.html  

Water management explained simply means “water care” where water is being cleaned after using it and before injected it again to the environment. Water in nature is meant to be clean and fresh, and that is the way water ends it global natural cycle in the form of rain. 

Successful water management policies are not only essential for life on earth but it is imperative and should be composed of many dynamic key issues involving the effective removal of waste and pollution from joining the water cycle in all its stages. Waste and pollution management, public awareness, education, protection of water bodies and associated monitoring programs are typically carried out through major, strict and comprehensive national strategies, directives and regulations. These have to be in place all the time, anytime and everywhere, it is not a matter of being done now and then as the costs involved in rehabilitation are very huge and time consuming with complicated procedures and actions.

A typical case to illustrate is The Citarum River, indonesia, which is known as the dirtiest river in the world. The Roadmap for the rehabilitation of the river system is an extensive plan with many components and phases that is to be completed by 2023 at a total cost of $3.5 billion. This will be a huge undertaking by people and government of Indonesia for empowering communities to better plan and manage their water resources for a more sustainable future.

The importance of waste management and fresh water resources: Looking at Indonesia’s Citarum River

Can Ecologists and Engineers Work Together to Harness Water For The Future? This is indeed among key questions for  the sustainable managements of water resources in the Pangani River catchment. As in many river catchments in Africa constrains from climate changes and the increasing pressures on water uses call for appropriate water management strategies, policies and regulations. In particular considerations to the dynamic nature of climate change versus water resources availability and affordability for diverse needs and services has to be taken into account.

Information on the hydrology and water resources of the Pangani River, Tanzania, is given at (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pangani_River#/media/File%3APangani_Town.jpg) 

Can Ecologists and Engineers Work Together to Harness Water For The Future?

The Nobel Peace Prize 2015 was awarded to National Dialogue Quartet “for its decisive contribution to the building of a pluralistic democracy in Tunisia in the wake of the Jasmine Revolution of 2011”.
The adoption of a new Tunisian constitution at the end of January has been hailed as a major milestone in the country’s democratic transition. The national dialogue process that brought Tunisia to this point is noteworthy for at least two reasons. First, the mediators in this case were insiders with a stake in the outcome. Second, changes in context, beyond the control of either party, significantly altered the strategic calculations of the negotiators and opened the window to an agreement (http://isnblog.ethz.ch/conflict/mediation-perspectives-the-tunisian-national-dialogue). Several celebrations in Tunisia addressed the importance of the ongoing transition to democracy (Tunisia Celebrating The New Constitution, e.g.  http://en.csid-tunisia.org/?p=97).

Among the international reflections on the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize for Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet are those being recently debated and released to the media in Europe (http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34485865).

More about the announcement and motivations of the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize is given here, start your video at around 31 minutes!

Collapse of political structures, economic pressures, constrains in natural resources, and large-scales and long-term socio-economic changes towards sustainable societies force new needs for effective and dynamic synergetic “society-university” interactions.

Higher education (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Higher_education), including research institutes, is inevitable what regards forcing major transformation in societies around the world. Ongoing globalization and socio-economic changes towards sustainable societies are very much coupled to the transformation in higher education itself as our world itself is in constant and fast changes and shifts.

Transformation of societies is driven by economic, political, social and cultural as well as religious powers and thereby  strategically important for building coupled “university-society” synergies for societies in transformation. In considering how universities can have effective role in coupled “university-society” synergies the following issues are of huge value: curriculum; quality and standards; diversification in teaching, research and society interactions; changes in access policies; student profiles and experiences; and  academic responses to change. 

Click to access transf-final-report.pdf

Nany of us have many questions about tap water and bottled water in terms of quality, access and affordability? Is bottled water more pure than tap water? What is most appropriate for a state or a country in terms of water management policies and services provided to the citizen? What regulations and directives that control water quality? What feedback impacts of the quality of natural waters on household needs in particular drinking water? 

The quality of water varies considerably around the world. So, you better learn about sources and quality of your water. Even in countries with high tap water quality people still go for bottled water. In the U.S. popularity of bottled water is  exploding again. During 2014 Americans consumed about 270 single-serving bottles of water per person with total value of bottled water sold of approximately $13 billion. Within the next two years bottled water in the U.S. is expected to become the most consumped packaged beverage in the United States. Water delivered by public water supplies in the U.S. is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) while bottled water is regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These two agencies have different standards for the water. In general, EPA’s quality standards are higher while FDA does have strict standards of purity and labeling that must be met by all manufacturers.

Is Bottled Water High Priced Tap Water?
It often is. About 25% of the bottled water sold in the United States comes straight out of a tap. This is also the case in many other counties around the world. It can cost over 1000 times as much as tap water. The FDA requires bottlers to identify what type of water is in every bottle. If it is marked  “from a community water system” or “from a municipal source” or something similar, you are buying the equivalent of tap water. The bottler might treat municipal or community water so that it meets the United States government’s definition of “purified water”, “demineralized water”, “deionized water”, “distilled water” or “reverse osmosis water”. It can then be labeled with those names. All steps of processing, bottling and labeling have a cost.

In the U.S. some bottled waters are specially produced and marketed as being from natural water sources. These are also regulated and labeled according to FDA definitions. Some of the more common water identities are: Mineral Water, Spring Water, Artesian Water, Sparkling Water, Ground Water and Well Water. 

In the U.S. if you are drinking bottled water because you think that it is more pure, better for your health or safer than community or municipal water you are probably not getting your money’s worth. 
One concern that motivates many people to drink bottled water instead is “taste” as some don’t like the taste of tap water.

The benefits of bottled water are mainly convenience and novelty. Instead of buying bottled water you can carry a canteen or a drinking cup and save lots of money by using tap water. For lits of reasons drinking tap water will also help the environment.
Water has no calories, no dissolved sugar, no alcohol and no caffeine. If you regularly drink water as a replacement for soda, beer, coffee or iced tea you are probably making a healthy choice. There are many real benefits of bottled water or tap water. It’s easy to drink water as an alternative beverage. So, start thinking of water as an alternative beverage. Drink bottled water when you need convenience. Drink tap water to save money and preserve the environment.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/03/100310/why-tap-water-is-better/

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/11/19/health/upwave-bottled-water/

http://www.cbc.ca/m/news/health/bottle-vs-tap-7-things-to-know-about-drinking-water-1.2774182

http://abcnews.go.com/US/mississippi-delta-state-university-lockdown-dead/story?id=33748843

http://geology.com/articles/bottled-water.shtml