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Life & Aging

Source of life, source of danger

A young Afghan refugee drinks from a hand pump in a slum area on the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan. Keystone
The dried up bed of the Jialing River at the foot of the city of Chongqing, in south-west China. Keystone
Women make their way home after collecting fresh water from a water point on the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan. Keystone
A young boy runs across a parched field in Berhampur, in the Indian state of Orissa. Keystone
Flooded livestock sheds in Pennsylvania, United States. Keystone
A flooded village in Mandalay, Myanmar. swissinfo.ch
A flooded Honda Motor factory in Ayutthaya province, Thaïland. Keystone
The Matte neighbourhood in Bern is often flooded when the Aare River bursts its banks. swissinfo.ch
A burst dam in February 2012 caused enormous damage at Harmanly, east of the Bulgarian capital Sofia. Keystone
Watering the fields at Landquart, canton Graubünden. Keystone
Hand watering the crops near Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Keystone
The Atatürk Dam on the Euphrates River in south-east Anatolia, Turkey, is used for both irrigation and electricity generation. R. Amiet
Hydro power station near Eglisau, canton Zurich. Keystone
The Grande Dixence dam, canton Valais. Keystone
Cooling off at Parliament House Square, Bern. Keystone

Without water there would be no life. We drink it, wash with it, grow food with it and generate energy with it. But if the scarcity of water is one of the greatest problems of our times, its abundance can also be devastating.

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(Images: swissinfo.ch/Keystone)

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SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR