The Past, Present and Future of Water: Insights from Peter Gleick’s “The Three Ages of Water”.

I have been browsing through a recent book of Dr. Peter Gleick on the humanity’s epic water story. Dr. Gleick is a renowned water expert, climate scientist, and co-founder of the Pacific Institute. He has written several books and numerous papers on water resources, climate change, and related topics. While reading this recent book, Dr. Gleick takes me to a journey of humanity’s triumphs and tribulations around water use, abuse, and the path to a sustainable future. Let me share some of the fascinating insights so far from my “distillation” of possible wisdom…

The book highlights how we’ve moved through three distinct eras in our relationship with water. In the First Age, water is perceived as a mysterious force to worshipped and feared. Did you know ancient Mesopotamians saw water as a force of gods to be worshipped? Early civilizations developed wells and canals, but water remained mysterious. The First Age of Water has propelled humanity from the Stone Age to the beginning of the Modern Era,

Then the Second Age saw massive engineering to control water through projects like aqueducts and dams to build cities where human civilization thrives. While this age has led to significant advancements in science, technology, and water management that propelled the industrial, agricultural and technological revolution, it also brought unintended consequences. This era where we treated water resources as limitless, is coming to an end due to escalating crises such as widespread water scarcity, pollution, depleting groundwater, increasing water-related conflicts, collapsing ecosystems, and the looming threats of extreme events and climate change.

Today, a water crisis. The concept of ‘peak-water limits’ is not merely an acknowledgment of diminishing resources, this heralds an era of innovative approaches, advanced technologies, and the establishment of new institutions, all converging towards the aspiration of a water-secure future. This is the envisaged ‘Third Age of Water’. The trajectory towards this age is characterized by what Dr. Gleick referred to as the ‘soft path for water’.

The book outlines principles for a “Third Age of Water” which focuses for example on:

• Radical efficiency — more crop per drop! Communities, business and industry can use dramatically less water while increasing the benefits that water use provides.
• Protecting ecosystems — nature offers trillions in “services” like water purification. Wetlands, lakes and rivers provide over $20 trillion in value annually!
• Water access as a human right — clean water for all creates immense social benefits. Provide universal access to safe water and sanitation. This could boost global GDP by $4 for every $1 invested.
• Wastewater reuse — it’s an asset, not waste! Did you know that Astronauts on the Space Station recycle more than 90% of water! Looking also for new sources of water on Earth that will not require taking more from natural systems is a must.
• Institutional reforms —Reform or build new institutions that are focused on “efficiency, equity, resilience, and integration across all elements of society.”
• Individual and collective action — we all have a role to play in pushing for change!

This inspiring book provides a blueprint for a water-secure future in the Philippines. As someone involved in drafting the Science, Technology and Innovation roadmap for the water-secure and resilient Philippines, its positive outlook and vision resonated with me. What gives me hope is that some of these solutions already exist. We just need the will to implement them.

How would we envision a water-secure and resilient Philippines in 2050?Unless we can picture a future where everyone prospers — ourselves, our families, our communities — then that future will never materialize. A dream we can’t share is a dream denied. Would a fictional story like this inspires us to dream big and be the agent of transformational change?

Let us brainstorm more solutions and innovations needed to reach such envisioned future of water security. Here are some key focus areas that I can think of:

1. Research and Development. Generating new knowledge and developing technological solutions.
2. Decision Support System, Modeling and Forecasting. Improving data collection, management and modeling capabilities to support decision making.
3. Capacity Building and Training. Developing human capital and institutions.
4. Innovation Ecosystems. Facilitating partnerships and collaboration.
5. Enabling Environment. Creating supportive framework conditions such as policies, regulations, economic incentives, and financing mechanisms.

As Lao Tzu may have said “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step…” I implore you to read the book and reflect on its wisdom. Let’s have a thoughtful discussion in the comments. What shocked or inspired you about humanity’s water journey? Do you have ideas to contribute to the Third Age of Water? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this critical topic.

Thank you for reading!

Please do share if you think this article or any similar one is informative and would help others to understand the situation at hand or change peoples’ opinions. The time to advocate for water-secure and resilient Philippines is NOW.

The author is a Professor of Chemical Engineering at the De La Salle University, teaching courses in the Environmental Engineering Graduate Program. He is currently the Chair of Engineering and Industrial Research Division of the National Research Council of the Philippines (2022–2024). He co-leads the Research Program on Water-Energy-Nutrient Nexus in the Cities of the Future funded by UK-Philippines Newton Prize 2019 to demonstrate the potential of recovered phosphate-based fertilizer from domestic wastewater to grow crops. His views are independent of the views of his affiliations.