8/8/2010
An Introductory Lecture given by Kunitoshi Sakurai, PhD. A professor of Okinawa University.
Within this lecture, Dr Sakurai spoke of the facts: limited access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation, interrupted river flows, pollution and global warming. He also addressed the ways in which he personally, as well as the Okinawa University, have acted to become more environmentally sustainable.
Here are some key notes on this lecture. And note, these are not quoted from the source.
---- Water Stats
Water is for everyone.Whether you are grey haired, or knobbly need, the need for water does not make someone unique. Yet within the world's water supply:
97% is sea water
2% is fresh water frozen in the polar caps and
1% is our total usable fresh water.
An estimated 1.1 billion of our ever increasing population (now at approx. 7 billion) have no access to safe drinking water. Another 2.8 billion are without adequate sanitation. 5-10 million people die each year from water-related disease and an astonishing statistic:
Ever 17 seconds, a child dies from water borne disease.
---- Water Wars
This water crisis may become the subject of war in the 21st century, Frontier rivers like the Mekong, Ganges, Tigris, Euphrates and Nile "may become the seeds of international strife". It is the interruption of rivers like China's Yellow River, and the diversion of the Yangtze river to increase its water flow, that may have outstanding environmental impacts on its unique environment. Yet, this water is urgently needed: "Water shortages affect two thirds of China's 600 major cities"*.
----- Paddy Field and Monsoon Asia
Many Asian countries have monsoonal weather patterns in common. This monsoonal weather is caused by the heated air produced in the summer moving up the Himilayan mountains and is joined by the dampened wind from the Indian ocean. This creates large amounts of precipitation in the months of July through September.
Monsoon Asia is feeding one half of the worlds population with it's agricultural production.
3 Major Categories of World Agriculture:
1. Dry Field Farming; directly uses rainfall but is susceptible to soil erosion.
2. Oasis Farming; Indirect rainfall use in arid to semi arid areas, has the risk of soil salinization.
2. Paddy Farming; Direct and indirect use of rainfall, no risk of soil erosion or salinization.
Paddy field farming has proved to be a very sustainable agricultural style because:
1. It's resistant to soil erosion and salinization
2. It contributes to the maintenance of the fertile state in flood plains
*Quote from New Scientist: http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn3107-china-approves-colossal-river-diversion-plan.html
