Costa Rica is known for its many rivers and seas. It is a rainy tropical country that supposedly would never have to worry about the water crisis. Yet, the famous phenomenon El Niño keeps getting naughtier each year. El Niño has been affecting our country since June, and it will continue around here up to March 2010. One of its consequences is the decrease in the amount of rain across the country. For example, there was 40% less rain in Guanacaste, 30% in the Pacific, and 25% in the Central Valley in the last few months. Moreover, Costa Rica is facing severe droughts because of a 50% decrease in the water sources (Mayorga, 2009). This “rainless rainy season” is affecting the whole society, and although humans cannot stop this phenomenon, the Instituto Costarricense de Acueductos y Alcantarillados (AyA) along with Costa Ricans can control it and provide feasible solutions.
The AyA has started a campaign which encourages people to reduce 20% of their daily water consumption. However, some may claim that this is not possible because 160 liters per day is a small quantity to survive. Nonetheless, if people do not start reducing the consumption now, then the possible future stoppages will force them to use an even smaller quantity of water and will not reduce the probability of relevant droughts across the entire country. Related to this, the AyA could state that they have already contributed to the problem, so it is the people who are responsible for saving as much as they can. But, since they are encouraging people to use less water, then they should also act as a role model to Costa Rican society.
In order to prevent major droughts or stoppages in the next 3 months, people have to reduce 20% of water consumption little by little. In other words, Costa Ricans should spend less time in the shower and remember to turn off the faucet while they are brushing their teeth. Also, Ricardo Sancho, the president of AyA said that people should not water the gardens or wash the cars because these are not prioritarial at the moment. These recommendations may seem irrelevant at first, but if every single one actually follows them, then when putting them together, the changes will be very remarkable.
In addition to the big role that Costa Ricans have on this issue, the AyA has to take action in the case and fix its current problems since promoting a campaign is not enough to solve the consequences that El Niño has brought. For example, the institution together with other water system managers waste around 50% of the water they produce before it is delivered to the consumer (González, 2009). Therefore, these entities have to make a bigger effort to save water that the whole country will need. In addition, the AyA must find a way to fix the several leaks on the country’s streets because nowadays, it takes them 6 days to repair those, and this fact means wasting 30% of the water that is destined for the metropolitan area (Mata, 2009). Of course, this also includes the many fire hydrants that are currently squandering water all over the country, instead of providing water to different neighborhoods that have been suffering due to the often stoppages.
Because of all these reasons, and many others, people must follow each one of the instructions that the AyA’s new campaign is promoting. In fact, everyone should look for different ways to save water so that the possibilities of serious droughts decrease and the need of turning to stoppages would not be considered. Also, the role of the AyA is quite significant, and therefore, they must plan ahead to prevent all the wastes. Indeed, the phenomenon cannot be destroyed or anything of the sort, but it can definitely be controlled and well managed. If the whole nation does not start acting now, the issue will become even bigger in a few months, and the consequences will not be merciful to anyone. Adults should listen to El Niño and save water because, in fact, their lives depend on it.
Daniela Arguello
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