Icebergs for Drinking Water and Its Ecological Effects

By Ishnoor Kaur

It is predicted by the UN that by 2030, half of the world’s population will face severe water shortages (Birkhold). For centuries, many cities, towns, and countries have been experiencing droughts that leave thousands of people without access to clean water. Recently, harvesting Icebergs for drinking water has been a topic of discussion, but is this really possible without damaging the planet, and will this result in safe, clean drinking water?

The idea of harvesting Icebergs is not new, as people have been working on doing so since the 1970s; however, the ethical question of this process has been a current debate. Many oil companies tow icebergs from the Arctic and the coast of Canada so that they can use this water to protect their wells (Georgiou). They do this by tying a rope around the iceberg, tying the rope to a ship, and dragging the iceberg very slowly. Initially, this could only be done with small icebergs, but it is now possible to do this with bigger icebergs as well. 

Many private corporations such as The Southern Ice Project from South Africa and the Polewater from Berlin have been focused on using this strategy to use massive Icebergs to produce water (Georgiou). The water from the Icebergs that are towed are meant to be bottled for drinking or pumped into muscipial systems. The question this raises is who has a claim on the Icebergs? Which countries have a right over the water and icebergs, and what is the fate of the countries whose governments can not afford to harvest icebergs? Moreover, how do we make sure that private corporations are using icebergs for the right reasons? There are no rules as to who owns the water and the resources in oceans that are not part of a country, meaning that anyone could collect icebergs. But for many countries, this is not an option due to the expenses that it requires. Ultimately, the countries that have the money, the means, and the resources are able to provide clean drinking water, which is unfair to millions of other people. 

The harvesting of thousands of icebergs will result in serious ecological concerns. Using ships to drag icebergs will result in more carbon emissions, which is extremely toxic to our already feeble climate. Icebergs also play an important role in the ecosystem of the oceans. Icebergs emit phytoplankton, which are essential to many food chains for sea animals (Georgiou). Phytoplankton also help fight against global warming because they help reduce levels of carbon dioxide in the air (Perkins). 

The harvesting of Icebergs has both positive benefits for millions of people, but there are many questions about the equity and fairness of using Icebergs for drinking water. The ecological concerns of this are also critical and should be explored and researched by scientists, while conversations of harvesting Icebergs continue to happen. 

Works cited:

Matthew Birkhold. “Arctic Cowboys: Meet the People Wrangling Icebergs for Drinking Water.” New Scientist, https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26034691-500-arctic-cowboys-meet-the-people-wangling-icebergs-for-drinking-water/. Accessed 16 Dec. 2023.

Science, Aristos Georgiou, and Health Reporter. “Americans Are Running out of Water. A Towering Iceberg Could Be the Answer.” Newsweek, 18 Nov. 2022, https://www.newsweek.com/americans-running-out-water-towering-iceberg-could-answer-760627. Accessed 16 Dec. 2023.

Sid Perkins, “Icebergs Are Fighting Climate Change.” Science.org, 11 Jan. 2016, https://www.science.org/content/article/icebergs-are-fighting-climate-change. Accessed 16 Dec. 2023.