Retaining the refreshing splash: year 2003 has been declared the International Year of Fresh Water by the United Nations. Alexander Zehnder, Director EWAG, draws interesting similes and raises questions of international interest.
| Auteur | Heddema, Renske |
Water has been a recurrent element in the life of Alexander Zehnder, who, today, is the Director of the Swiss Federal Institute for Environmental Science and Technology (EAWAG) in Zurich.
During the summers of his childhood nothing was more natural than a daily swim in the biggest lake bordering Switzerland. At school be was fascinated by the demonstration of boiling liquids that his chemistry teachers would produce in class. He was equally enthralled by the world of plants and biology became his second favourite subject. When he moved to the ETH in Zurich, he combined both subjects and finished with a master's degree in biochemistry. However, it wasn't until living in Morocco that the meaning of water hit him with full intensity.
Originally being sent as a consultant for the World Health Organisation, Zehnder soon turned to the practical side of agriculture by buying an orange plantation. As a plantation manager in a tropical country, Zehnder knew that water was essential for survival.
Today, with Zehnder at the helm, EAWAG, a renowned global player in the field of environmental issues and urban hydrology, has increasingly focussed on the topic of water and aquatic systems. Zehnder was also struck by the prevalence of water, climatologic circumstances and fertile ground in live countries, a concentration, which he compares to the OPEC.
Swiss News finds out more about Alex Zehnder and what he thinks.
Swiss News: Which are the five predominant food-producing countries: not the "OPEC" but the "FPEC" countries?
Alex Zehnder: They are USA, Canada, Argentina, France and Australia. These countries have an ideal combination of water, fertile soil and climate, which makes them super powers in terms of export of wheat.
With the exception of Argentina these are all highly industrialised western countries that already have substantial political power. In addition, they now have the power of a food producer.
The biggest wheat broker is the US; Chicago is the city where the global prices are established. The combination of price and political dependence force other countries to use their water resources for agriculture. In order to maintain their independence from the super-powers of water, they tend to turn to agriculture, even if this is a bad choice.
What is wrong with keeping your independence?
It is totally wrong in the case of water. There is an evident population increase in this world. The world population is growing fastest in countries where water is already scarce. However, the amount of water remains almost constant. This means we need to become more flexible with using water the world over. In doing so, countries can set their own priorities. Perhaps some choose to use their water for the tourism industry, where they earn good money. Or some...
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