Water Conservation in Kansas and it's Impact on Mental Health
Water conservation efforts in Kansas are aimed at reducing drought damage,
but they may also improve your mental health. Elaine Johannes, the Kansas Health Foundation's distinguished professor of community health at Kansas State University, explained why Kansas Extension first implemented the 40-gallon challenge.
"40 gallons seems to be something that we can really measure through our practices of, you know, watering yards or filling up the dishwasher full before we run a full cycle. Or dare I say, even changing how our showering habits are in our households," Johannes said.
Weather and climate have become increasingly stressful over the last several years.
"You look across the terrain, you look across the high plains, and you see that it's not just my
operation or my community or my household that's kind of suffering with uncertainty related to
climate or extreme weather. We see those around us. So we can feel like there's no hope. And if we feel and we start seeing others have no hope, it can be such a difficult thing for communities, for farmers, ranchers, producers to continue," Johannes said.
Johannes emphasized the importance of knowing where your water comes from and things you can do to help the conservation efforts.
"So we as community people need to understand where our water comes from, and we also need to understand where it's not coming from. So it's an acknowledgement that water, agriculture, and economics health across the state relies on us working together. But it also relies on us understanding where these natural resources come from and how we can preserve them, conserve them, and appreciate them," Johannes said.
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