ABSTRACT

We all know water is essential for life. We also know that many people – too many – are not getting enough of it, both quantity and quality, that allow them to live healthy lives. And for many of the world’s poor, access to clean water is too costly. For some countries, the percentage of people lacking adequate water supplies exceeds well over half of their total populations. As a result, many, especially the very young, die. Others are constantly sick and, hence, cannot achieve their full productive potential (UNESCO 2003, 2009). So, the question is just how can we “optimize water for life,” especially in areas lacking enough water to satisfy even life’s basic needs? How do we make decisions on how much water to allocate to each of the many beneficial uses of water in times of water stress?