Hong Kong must focus on saving water, to help save lives

Water, water everywhere. That's the feeling we Hong Kong people have always had, not only because we're an island city, but also thanks to the 17 reservoirs that dot our territory. Our taps, it seems, can never run dry.

And to keep them running, Financial Secretary John Tsang Tsun-wah said during his recent budget speech, a plant that desalinates seawater would be up and running by 2020 to meet our ever-growing demand for water.

But the government is barking up the wrong tree. The question we should all be asking is not how we can take the salt out of seawater, but how we can stop using so much of our freshwater resources.

Judging by the way we let it run down the drain, saving water is not a big concern for most Hongkongers. Our annual per capita water consumption, at 172 cubic metres, is high compared to other developed cities like London, Melbourne and Paris, which use 80, 86 and 119 cubic metres respectively, according to research by China Water Risk, a non-profit organisation that highlights water issues. This shows that our society has a low awareness of water conservation.

Yet for people living in many countries, water is not a given. The United Nations has estimated that 768 million people are still without access to improved drinking-water sources - that is, water protected from contamination - while 2.5 billion people still lack "improved sanitation", or hygienic housing.

East Africa suffered a severe drought in 2011 and 2012, one said to be the worst in 60 years. It caused a widespread food crisis that affected 10 million people across Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya. Water shortages were one of the major drivers of food insecurity in the region.