By: Natalia Trita Agnika

In a discussion about water that took place in the Land of Pandas (27/11/2016), Agus Haryanto, Water Services Specialist WWF-Indonesia once explained, "It is estimated that by 2030, 50% of the population on Earth will live under water scarcity and nearly 1 billion people will have difficulty accessing clean water. This is in line with data from the Minister of Environment in 1997, Java Island experienced a clean water deficit of 134,103 cubic meters."

Population growth, increasing demand for agriculture, energy, industry, business sector, and households have increased the demand for clean water. This threatens the availability of clean water.

On World Water Day (World Water Day) which is commemorated every March 22, the public is reminded to maintain and manage water resources in a sustainable manner. We can help maintain the availability of water resources, starting by doing simple things that can be done everyday, such as turning off the faucet when brushing your teeth, choosing to bathe using a shower instead of a dipper, or making sure to close the water tap tightly. Not throwing garbage into waterways and rivers is also one way to protect water sources. By doing so, we have become "Water Guardians", just like the people in Rimbang Baling, Riau.

[Watch video: Water Guardians]

In addition to the simple things we can do in our daily activities, we can also take concrete actions to ensure that water sources are maintained. One of these concrete actions is by reforesting the forest which is a water catchment area. The presence of trees in the spring area is very important because they function as water absorbers and soil buffers. Thus, the protection of water resources can be carried out in a sustainable manner.

As urbanites who live far from forests, we can plant trees in water catchment areas through the MyBabyTree program. We can choose a planting location and monitor it using geotags (labeling the tree with the exact latitude and longitude/coordinates of the location). By planting trees, we can save water sources. Are you willing to be a "water guardian"?

Preserving water means preserving our lives. Do not let the spring crisis bring tears to us.