By Niharika Iyengar 

There are few things I obsess over as much as I do astronomy (note: not astrology). We live in a universe with trillions (yes, with a ‘T’!) of galaxies and an unfathomably large number (did you know sextillion was even a word?) of planets. And at the forefront of all space exploration is the profound question: are we alone?  

Isn’t either answer absolutely thrilling/terrifying?  

In the search for extraterrestrial life, scientists primarily focus on the presence of one substance: water. Because life as we know it came from water and more importantly, life as we know it cannot survive without water.  

If you remember primary school geography, you know that over 70% of Earth is water (and that’s why we call her the Blue Planet). But most of this water is salty or otherwise unfit for us. In fact, only 0.3% of all water available on earth is fresh and usable by humans.  

Water affects every single facet (faucet?) of your daily life. The fruits, vegetables, and meat you consume need it. Your pets and plants need it. You need it to clean. You want it to swim and relax in. You need water. 

But water is one of the hardest hit natural resources of a changing climate. And this small, finite, precious water does not come from taps (well, not only taps). Nearly all the world’s freshwater is supplied by wetlands like rivers, lakes, and peatlands. They play a crucial role in water purification, storage, flood control, and groundwater recharge. In fact, wetlands are so central to the water cycle on earth that a world without wetlands would be a world without freshwater.    

Wetlands – and therefore water security – are under increasing pressure from unsustainable developments, poorly planned infrastructure and climate change. We have dammed our rivers, drained and degraded our peatlands, and polluted our lakes. And our actions have had severe consequences. Just look at the last year alone: droughts in Iran, flooding in India and the UK, and increased carbon emissions in China and Canada, can all be attributed to wetland loss.  

We can no longer afford to be so callous with this literal life-sustaining resource. Water security is about healthy wetlands. And we know what must be done.  

We know that we must recognise the interconnectedness of the challenges that face us to develop comprehensive strategies. Climate change, water and food security, nature loss, and even human rights and economic resilience are all interlinked. We know that nature-based solutions, such as investing in healthy wetlands, can improve water quality and reduce the need for energy-intensive water treatment.  We know that we have to improve water retention and restore the hydrology of degraded wetlands, for example by reconnecting rivers to their floodplains, repairing ditches, or removing invasive plant species. And importantly, we have to (HAVE TO!) conserve those wetlands that remain untouched.   

Water and wetlands (like outer space!) do not adhere to political boundaries (in fact, 60% of the world’s freshwater is transboundary), making international cooperation crucial in managing water resources and protecting wetlands. 

Some of space exploration is amazingly cooperative. The International Space Station (which has boasted 25 continuous years of human presence!) has been a gargantuan effort including, amongst others, the USA, Russia, Japan, Canada and several EU member states. And this is also true in the search for extraterrestrial life. Europe, America, and China are leaning on each other for knowledge and resources.  

And if it can happen in outer space, why not here on Earth? There certainly are precedents for it. Remember the hole in the ozone layer? Thanks to the Montreal Protocol – a ban on ozone-depleting CFCs – and the compliance of several nations, the hole is shrinking. Studies have shown that transboundary cooperation can have both economic and natural benefits (like for example in the Lancang-Mekong River Basin which supports people in China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam). 

Man-made borders are seldom useful or good. They’ve harmed humans and wildlife alike. And most problems we face do not adhere to borders (remember how quickly COVID spread?) including climate change and water scarcity.  

The path forward is not easy, but trying to trudge along it alone just makes it harder. The best option is to walk it together.