Recently, many individuals have advocated for the right to access fresh water freely, while others dispute this by supporting government regulations on water usage due to its scarcity. From my point of view, government intervention is crucial to ensure equitable water distribution and to preserve its supply in the midst of climate change challenges.
Proponents argue that people should be allowed to optimize fresh water according to their needs protected by law and regulations. The universal right to access fresh water, stated by the United Nation, serves as the basis for proponents’ claim. Some countries support this stance by providing their citizens with free access to water for their daily needs and personal sanitations. This approach is feasible in nations with abundant resources of fresh water within their territories. Meanwhile, other countries regulate water usage through national water companies, requiring people to pay for their consumption. Nevertheless, individuals uphold freedom in using fresh water as long as they can afford it.
On the contrary, the other group of people contends that the government needs to control overconsumption of water to address the shortage exacerbated by the climate change. Fresh water is essential not only for domestic use but also for the agricultural, industrial, and public health sectors. To ensure equity, government should manage water supply demanded by every sector by regulating fair allocations based on priority and by implementing reasonable charges according to financial capacity. For instance, high-income households in urban areas could be charged higher rates than the mid- to low-income farmers in agriculture sector. Moreover, the revenue collected could be used to preserve water supply by planting trees in resourceful area to capture the rainfall and mitigate river droughts caused by prolonged dry seasons. This approach is ensuring equitable access to fresh water whenever the shortage is exacerbated by the climate change.
In conclusion, advocating the freedom for fresh water is respecting the individuals’ right. However, I firmly believe that the government should be responsible for guarding the equitable usage of water and protecting the water supply in the face of climate change.